Australian vertiport developer Skyportz, which is building a network of sites across the country that could accommodate advanced air mobility (AAM) operations, is now looking to operate AAM aircraft itself.

The company over the weekend announced the establishment of Wilbur Air, a wholly owned subsidiary that will operate drones, air taxis, and other electric and hybrid aircraft across the future Skyportz network. 

Wilbur will have “priority access” to vertiport locations being developed across Australia. Several partners will provide aircraft to the new company to enable drone delivery, short- and long-distance passenger travel, and other AAM services.

“Wilbur Air will be establishing operational partnerships across Australia with existing small charter and helicopter companies interested in moving into advanced air mobility and flying under the Wilbur Air brand with priority access to our Skyportz vertiports,” said Clem Newton-Brown, founder and CEO of Skyportz and Wilbur Air.

American manufacturer Electra.aero is the first aircraft partner Wilbur Air has announced. The company and Skyportz signed a letter of intent (LOI) in 2021 for 100 Electra hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft.

Even among electric aircraft, Electra’s eSTOL is unique in that it can take off or land in an area as small as a soccer field. According to the manufacturer, it is the first company to deploy blown lift technology using distributed electric propulsion. Blown lift redirects slipstream flows over the aircraft’s wings into large flaps and ailerons, reducing its runway requirement to just 150 feet.

Electra in January said it surpassed 2,000 orders for its flagship aircraft, including large purchase agreements with American operators Bristow Group and JSX and India’s JetSetGo.

“Our sustainable eSTOL aircraft is perfectly suited for Australia’s diverse geography, with its ability to access short airstrips in both urban and remote areas while offering exceptional operational efficiency,” said Marc Ausman, chief product officer of Electra.

Newton-Brown, meanwhile, pointed to the eSTOL’s long range—about 434 nm—as a factor that could open up potential use cases for Wilbur.

Additionally, the aircraft cruises at 175 knots and can carry nine passengers or up to 2,500 pounds of cargo. According to Electra, it has twice the payload, 10 times the range, and 70 percent lower operating costs than designs that take off vertically, such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis.

Another advantage is the eSTOL’s hybrid-electric configuration. Because it uses hybrid power to fuel up and recharge its batteries during flight, airports won’t need electric charging infrastructure to accommodate it.

Electra intends to begin eSTOL deliveries in 2028. The company envisions a wide range of use cases for the aircraft, including passenger transport, on-demand urban air mobility, defense, cargo logistics, executive transport, humanitarian aid, and disaster response.

According to Newton-Brown, Wilbur intends to announce more aircraft partners in the future, expanding its fleet with aircraft that “suit a range of uses that we intend to operate.”

Although Skyportz will give its subsidiary priority access to its network of vertiports, the company’s goal is to “break the nexus between aviation and airports” for other operators. Many AAM infrastructure developers are looking to install vertiports at airports or FBOs, but Newton-Brown believes the industry should reduce its reliance on those sites.

“We are working with governments, air regulators, and communities to establish the parameters for the introduction of vertiport infrastructure and short takeoff and landing runways,” said Newton-Brown. “If all the aircraft do is fly from airports and helipads, then there will be no revolution. We need to start developing vertiports in new locations now.”

Last week, the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems, the country’s largest AAM industry advocacy group, released its Industry Vision for the integration of eVTOL, eSTOL, drones, and other emerging aircraft into the country’s ecosystem. Like the FAA’s Innovate28 blueprint or U.K. Civil Aviation Authority’s Future of Flight action plan, it seeks to position Australia at the forefront of the AAM industry.

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Drone delivery manufacturer RigiTech has announced a key update with implications for its aircraft in the U.S.

The company last week announced that the FAA confirmed its Eiger drone to be compliant with the regulator’s Remote ID rule, a key step toward expanding operations in the U.S. to go beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator.

RigiTech’s U.S. customers—which include medical drone delivery operator Spright, a subsidiary of helicopter operator Air Methods—could leverage the approval to commence BVLOS operations with a waiver from the FAA.

“Achieving this approval is a crucial milestone for RigiTech and the drone community at large, propelling us towards more complex and beneficial drone operations,” said David Rovira, co-founder and chief business officer of RigiTech. “We are committed to continuing our work with the FAA and other stakeholders to ensure a safe, secure, and innovative future for drone technology.”

BVLOS flights are considered some of the highest-risk operations in the drone delivery industry due to the lack of human oversight, since they take place where the operator cannot see them. In lieu of a final rule regulating BVLOS operations, the FAA approves them on a case-by-case basis using waivers.

However, many industry stakeholders are pushing for a more reliable system. Doing away with the human oversight requirement would expand—in some cases significantly—the area that drone delivery companies can serve, allowing them to attract more customers.

Remote ID is one of the ways the industry can reduce its reliance on human operators. It is essentially a digital license plate for drones, broadcasting live information such as a unique identification number, location, altitude, and velocity over a 2-3-mile radius. That information can be used by law enforcement, the FAA, or other federal agencies to monitor flights and ground unsafe drones.

The FAA’s Remote ID rule took full effect in March, requiring all agency-registered drones to be flown with broadcast capabilities installed either during or after manufacturing. 

Most manufacturers began producing remote ID-compliant drones in September 2022, according to the regulator. But a company can retrofit its aircraft to broadcast remote ID with technology such as a beacon. RigiTech says Eiger is compliant with the FAA’s standard remote ID requirements, meaning the drone is produced with broadcast capabilities already built in.

For a drone, Eiger is quite durable. The aircraft has a range of about 62 sm (54 nm) and payload of 6.6 pounds, capable of flying during daytime or nighttime and in winds as fast as 33 mph (28 knots). A temperature-controlled cargo hold allows it to carry medical and humanitarian payloads such as blood or vaccines.

Working behind the scenes is RigiTech’s RigiCloud software, which enables autonomous and remote Eiger flights—another key tenet of BVLOS operations. RigiCloud provides real-time flight tracking and creates preprogrammed routes in compliance with aviation regulatory authorities across Europe. The software even tracks drone maintenance and operator credentials to help customers avoid run-ins with regulators.

In July, RigiTech conducted successful tests of Eiger’s prototype precision dropping system, flying spare parts to Anholt Offshore Wind Farm 20 sm (17 nm) off the coast of Denmark. The system, an optional add-on to the drone, autonomously releases cargo from a few feet in the air when RigiCloud detects the drone has reached its destination. The tests were monitored remotely from the Danish capital of Copenhagen, 83 sm (72 nm) away.

In October, the State University of New York Upstate Medical University (SUNY Upstate) became the first U.S. company to conduct a domestic flight with Eiger. RigiTech has also received a handful of Eiger orders from Spright, beginning delivery of the first six systems in May.

According to the company, its systems have been approved for and flown BVLOS operations on five continents. Outside the U.S., it has laid the groundwork for initial service or begun flying in its home country of Switzerland, France, Greece, South Korea, and Uruguay. In February, RigiTech added Dutch drone operator Medical Drone Service as a customer to launch healthcare deliveries in the Netherlands.

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A first-of-its-kind drone designed for endurance, stealth, flexibility, and operational simplicity has found its latest customer in the U.S. Navy.

Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, manufacturer of the solar-powered, ultralong-range K1000ULE uncrewed aircraft system (UAS), last week won a contract to provide the Navy with its first UAS capable of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL). The contract was agreed through PMA-263, the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Air Systems program office at Patuxent River, Maryland.

KHAero’s K1000ULE is a 100 percent electric, solar-powered, Group 2 UAS. The company claims the aircraft boasts a greater flight endurance than any eVTOL in its category, capable of remaining airborne for 26 hours during a single flight.

The U.S. Marine Corps Small Unit Remote Scouting System will field K1000ULE to enable what KHAero predicts will be simpler, faster, and more cost-effective intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The UAS will also enhance the Navy’s beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations in “denied or contested areas.” Operations are fully autonomous, relying on onboard artificial intelligence and autopilot technology.

“Today we live with the prospect of a new era of defense technology in which autonomy and artificial intelligence will become more important,” said Fatema Hamdani, CEO of KHAero. “The Navy wants to discover what’s possible. And we’re honored to give them the solutions they need.”

KHAero claims K1000ULE has the longest endurance of any fully electric, zero-emissions, autonomous UAS in its size and weight category. Its 26-hour flight time comes from a propulsion system that runs on lithium ion batteries and photovoltaics (or solar power), powering a brushless electric motor and folding propeller. The aircraft’s solar technology is licensed by the U.S. Department of Energy, per the company.

KL1000ULE is about 10 feet long with a 16.5-foot wingspan, capable of taking off at a weight of 42.5 pounds and reaching an altitude of 20,000 feet msl. The aircraft cruises at around 30-40 knots, giving it a 1,000 sm (867 nm) range. It can be equipped with electro-optical, infrared, communications and other payloads. In addition, KHAero says it can accommodate any Department of Defense MOD Payload compliant payload.

KHAero’s focus is largely on data, intelligence, and communication services, created using multidrone coordination systems. It aims to service customers in emergency and disaster relief, data and telecommunications, defense, agriculture, oil and gas, climate change, and wildlife preservation.

The company’s system additionally shares information across platforms to allocate aircraft on demand, based on sensor needs. In the case of the Navy, crews across operations will be able to keep informed on the UAS’ status.

A single Navy operator could operate a swarm of K1000ULE drones, creating a “self-aware constellation,” in KHAero’s words, that autonomously makes decisions and performs terrain and airspace deconfliction.

The system is controlled through a wearable tablet interface, which helps the user select a coverage area and launch the correct number of assets within 15 minutes. Operators can review or change the coverage area or mission objectives, view the position, flight time, and battery power of the aircraft, and track how many drones are in the sky.

Before awarding the contract to KHAero, the Navy made sure to vet the aircraft, requesting that the manufacturer demonstrate a range of capabilities. U.S. and international partners deployed it for the first time in March 2023,  conducting operations over Aqaba, Jordan, as part of the International Maritime Exercise 2023.

Further evaluations were performed at both KHAero and U.S. government test facilities and overseen by the UAS Research and Operations Center at the University of Maryland. Among the capabilities and technologies tested were flight endurance, vertical takeoff and landing without a runway, and operations in daytime, nighttime, and other environmental conditions.

Removing the runway requirement is a key component of KHAero’s offering. The company also aims to reduce the Navy’s UAS operational footprint from 120-150 to less than five people, performing testing on K1000ULE’s maneuverability. Further, KHAero expects these operations to be nearly undetectable, which it tested by having the Navy track the drone’s audio and visual signatures from the ground.

After gauging K1000ULE’s capabilities, the partners performed reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition tests. They evaluated the aircraft’s full motion video capabilities, which can identify and classify targets, among other mission systems packages.

The Navy could use the UAS to scout an unidentified vehicle, track enemy force movements, shadow friendly troops on the move, or perform other ISR tasks. KHAero is among several aircraft and technology manufacturers collaborating with the U.S. military—Archer Aviation, Pivotal, Xwing and many others are working with the Air Force via its innovation arm, AFWERX.

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The FAA has allowed a Texas drone company an exemption that will allow the commercial use of “drone swarms” in agriculture.

Hylio asked for the exemption to help it make drone aerial application economically viable. Under drone rules, a commercial drone has to have a remote pilot and spotter, but the exemption allows the same crew to run as many as three drones at once and spray almost as quickly as a tractor can.

Each drone carries 15 gallons of spray and the downwash from the eight rotors ensures good coverage. Proprietary software allows them to operate autonomously and fly a variety of patterns.

At about $80,000 each, the drones are much less expensive than the large tractors used in industrial farming operations, use a fraction of the energy and don’t compact the soil.

Of course, Hylio is already looking at other uses for the tripled-up drones. As individual aircraft, the drones have been used for everything from seeding wildfire areas to seeding pods with clams for aquatic farmers and are expected to bring similar efficiencies.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

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Longtime Walmart drone delivery partner DroneUp has unveiled its latest autonomous offering.

The company on Tuesday introduced its drone Ecosystem, a suite of ground, air, and software products wrapped into a single platform to enable drone delivery for retailers, healthcare providers, restaurants, and other customers. According to DroneUp CEO Tom Walker, the firm will roll out the solution next quarter and continue adding locations over the next 18 to 24 months.

Walker says the DroneUp Ecosystem is the first fully automated end-to-end drone delivery system. It combines a suite of software operating systems, two next-generation drones, and automated ground infrastructure, which the company believes will make its services more scalable, accessible, and affordable.

In partnership with DroneUp, Walmart operates a network of 36 hubs based out of stores in Florida, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Utah, Arizona, and North Carolina. The world’s largest retailer is also working with drone delivery firms Zipline, Flytrex, and Alphabet’s Wing.

In addition, DroneUp has relationships with state agencies in Utah, Hawaii, Iowa, Florida, and Rhode Island.

“Our work with leading retailers and quick-service restaurants has provided us with valuable insights into the speed and convenience that end customers desire from drone delivery,” said Walker. “Our Ecosystem is designed to exceed those expectations, enabling us to perform millions of deliveries daily.”

The DroneUp Ecosystem comprises three components. On the ground is DBX, a secure outdoor locker with climate-controlled package management that can be stored in spaces smaller than a parking spot. DBX will enable autonomous package pickup and returns for customers. The locker can be reconfigured in a variety of ways, capable of being installed on the side of a building or rooftop. Depending on the configuration, it can hold as many as 100 packages.

The company’s two next-generation drones will be able to land automatically and precisely on top of DBX. The smaller model flies at 60 mph for up to 30 sm (26 nm), which DroneUp says gives the Ecosystem a 15-mile service coverage radius around integrated vendors. It can carry up to 10 pounds of cargo. A higher endurance model can fly for 100 miles round trip and accommodate heavier payloads. Both aircraft are designed to complete deliveries in less than 30 minutes.

The drones come equipped with internal package storage for rain, snow, and sun protection, and are capable of flying in winds as fast as 30 knots. DroneUp says the next-generation models will have industry-leading size and weight capacity to support a higher volume of orders than ever before. In addition, Walker notes they will make about as much noise as a refrigerator when flying at delivery altitude.

Onboard charging technology eliminates the need for ground personnel to swap out the drones’ battery packs, giving them more uptime. Onboard vertical clearance sensing, meanwhile, automatically determines the drone’s height over obstacles. At the delivery site, the drone can release a claw-like package grasper to perform aerial drops or winch up to 120 feet, enabling autonomous pickup and drop-off.

Crucially, the drones can fly from a DBX to a customer’s home or between the outdoor hubs. The automated lockers will be deployed as delivery sites in urban areas to serve apartments, college campuses, office buildings, and other hard-to-reach locations.

The process is simple. A retailer packs and places the order in the DBX, which autonomously secures and prepares it for pickup. The locker then opens its top for a drone’s winch to grab the package. Once the order arrives at another DBX, customers can scan a code or use a mobile app to complete an identification verification process and retrieve it.

Orchestrating the drones and ground infrastructure is an autonomous flight planning and control application. Walker points out that DroneUp operators will function like air traffic controllers, monitoring swaths of airspace rather than individual drones. This will allow a single operator to supervise multiple flights.

The autonomous flight planning system includes digitized maps and advanced flight coordination features, such as detect-and-avoid technology, which DroneUp maintains will enable flights beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). The company in January obtained FAA approval to fly BVLOS without stationing human observers along routes, joining a handful of firms that also includes Zipline and Wing.

The software’s multidimensional pathfinding system allows drones to fly around, over, or under obstacles, adjusting routes accordingly. The cloud-based system can also accommodate surges in demand by allocating drones to areas with high activity.

The Ecosystem is not DroneUp’s first foray into automation. In 2023, it partnered with Iris Automation to build what is essentially an air traffic control system for uncrewed drones. The company will deploy Iris’ ground-based, detect-and-alert system across a network of “nodes” spread throughout its delivery areas. Much like cellphone towers, these will communicate airspace traffic data to improve BVLOS visibility.

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The FAA has issued a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) regarding flight restrictions in place around Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which collapsed Tuesday morning after a container ship collided with it. The temporary flight restriction (TFR) covers the bridge and the surrounding Inner Harbor.

The NOTAM was issued to protect aircraft performing painstaking salvage and rescue missions in the area, which could be hindered by other aircraft. The U.S. Coast Guard said it deployed boats and a helicopter to the site. Several emergency helicopters are visible on Flightradar24. These aircraft are typically equipped with forward-looking infrared (FLIR) sensors and other cameras to search for victims.

No injuries or deaths have yet been reported by authorities, though first responders have described the situation as a “mass casualty multiagency incident.” Crews are reportedly searching for six people. The water where the bridge was struck is about 50 feet deep and 47 degrees Fahrenheit, complicating rescue efforts.

The FAA issued a specific warning to drone pilots in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

“The FAA has flight restrictions in place around the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse,” the agency said. “Do not interfere with rescue operations. If you fly, emergency response operations cannot.”

Aircraft flying in the airspace around the bridge—even small drones—could compromise the safety of emergency aircraft. Entering the TFR would be akin to driving around a barricade intended to shield firefighters extinguishing a blaze.

The restriction limits pilots from flying within 5 nm and below 2,000 feet above the surface over the site of the incident. The TFR is under the Class B shelf, which has a floor of 1,500 feet—pilots avoid this airspace by flying below it. Essentially, the TFR prevents pilots from transitioning straight to Baltimore/Washington International Airport (KBWI) and flying up the Patapsco River.

Around 1:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday morning, a Singapore-flagged ship called the Dali collided with Francis Scott Key Bridge. The vessel was chartered by shipping giant Maersk but managed by the Synergy Group, which said no casualties occurred on board. The ship was carrying around 4,900 containers and traveling at about 9 mph (8 knots).

The Dali’s crew notified authorities of a power issue and sent a mayday before the collision, according to Maryland Governor Wes Moore.

The bridge crosses the Patapsco River and was part of Interstate 695, a major commuting route used by an estimated 35,000 people daily, said Paul Wiedefeld, Maryland Transportation Secretary. It and the Port of Baltimore comprise a key U.S. shipping hub.

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The world’s most prolific manufacturer and seller of consumer drones is introducing a new “drone in a box” solution globally.

Chinese drone manufacturer DJI on Tuesday announced the worldwide launch of Dock 2, an automated solution aimed at enterprise customers. The drone in a box offering includes a takeoff and landing hub and two new, specially designed drones, intended to automate use cases such as surveying, inspections, asset management, and security.

DJI—known for its consumer camera drones that are widely used by hobbyists in the U.S. and globally—unveils Dock 2 about six months after revealing its first delivery drone, FlyCart 30. The company launched global sales of that model in January.

At the same time, DJI and other Chinese drone manufacturers face a prolonged push by U.S. lawmakers to ban their technology among federal agencies. Lawmakers have referred to the drones as “TikTok with wings,” in reference to the allegations of spying levied against the Chinese social media app. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, recently released guidance warning of potential cybersecurity threats from Chinese drone manufacturers.

DJI has pushed back against all allegations, characterizing them as “inaccurate and unsubstantiated” and a bid by the U.S. to shield its domestic drone industry from foreign competition.

DJI drones are considered some of the cheapest and highest quality models on the market for hobbyists and public safety agencies. CNBC last year estimated the company is responsible for about 7 in 10 global consumer drone sales.

“Today, far too many workers must perform repetitive but complex and dangerous jobs manually on-site,” said Christina Zhang, senior director of corporate strategy at DJI. “With DJI Dock 2, we’re delivering a cost-effective automated aerial solution to complete these jobs efficiently from a safe distance.”

DJI claims Dock 2 can capture higher-precision images and fly longer than other drone in a box solutions. The solution is 75 percent smaller and 68 percent lighter than the company’s previous generation, with a weight of 75 pounds and volume of 3.5 square feet. Its batteries can be wirelessly charged from 20 to 90 percent in just over half an hour.

Dock 2 is designed to automate aerial missions such as surveying, inspections, and mapping. The system can be programmed to automate missions, though operators at any time can step in to control the flight and gimbal angle. They can also remotely observe weather, environmental, and takeoff and landing conditions through internal and external lenses.

The system is installed on-site and can be carried by two adults, which DJI says makes it more cost effective than its predecessor. Before deploying a drone, it uses vision sensors to ensure the flight path and destination have adequate GNSS signals, reducing the site selection process from five hours to about 12 minutes, the company claims.

Dock 2 was built to accommodate two new, specially designed drones, the DJI Matrice 3D and Matrice 3TD. Both models have an estimated flight time of 50 minutes and operating radius of 6 sm (5.2 nm), capable of recharging for 400 cycles. Each includes real-time kinematic (RTK) antennas, omnidirectional sensing, and automatic obstacle avoidance.

Matrice 3D is designed for automated, 1:500 high-precision surveying and mapping missions, using a telecamera and wide camera with mechanical shutter. The 3TD is built for inspections and security surveillance, using the same tele camera and a different wide camera. The latter also includes an infrared camera, which depicts visible light and thermal images.

Dock 2 and the two drones are compatible with DJI’s FlightHub 2 software, which allows users to manage automated missions through a cloud-based platform. Flight data collected by the software could be used to create precise 3D models, allowing operators to program the drone’s camera to capture the same area during recurrent flights. This could enable automation of routine surveying operations, for example.

Operators can also use FlightHub 2’s online weather forecasting application to send warnings and terminate flight tasks as needed. The software gauges rainfall, wind speed, and temperature to identify real-time weather changes. Dock 2 is rated to IP55 and Matrice 3D and 3TD to IP54, meaning the technology offers some protection from dust and water.

DJI claims maintenance on the Dock 2 system is only required every six months. In addition, the system can operate independently for up to five hours using a built-in battery, giving the drone plenty of time to return and land in the case of a power outage.

The company also says it supports an open ecosystem for Dock 2, allowing operators to use both the company’s and third-party software and payloads. Matrice 3D and 3TD, for example, can carry third-party loudspeakers, spotlights, or parachutes using the company’s E-Port and E-Port Lite kits (both are sold separately).

The intended customers for Dock 2 are likely public safety and law enforcement agencies, which could deploy the system for a range of potential use cases. However, state lawmakers in Florida and Arkansas have already enacted bans on Chinese-manufactured drones for their respective agencies. More states could follow as federal lawmakers continue efforts to restrict the drones’ use by agencies such as the Department of Defense.

A 2022 Washington Post report revealed that DJI, despite claims to the contrary, has received funding from “several state-backed investors,” including the state-owned SDIC Unity Capital fund. However, the manufacturer has denied allegations of government control over its activities, such as that China could compel it to aid in espionage activities. Users must opt in to share data such as flight logs, photos, or videos with the company—none of that information is collected by default, it claims.

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Standard delivery or pickup? Those are the options for most DoorDash users, but customers in Christiansburg, Virginia, now have a third choice.

On Thursday, Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet, expanded its partnership with DoorDash to the U.S. following a yearlong trial in Australia. In 2022, the companies agreed to integrate their marketplaces, allowing Wing deliveries to be facilitated through the DoorDash platform. It was the first time a drone delivery provider made its service available on a third-party app.

Initially, the service will be based out of a single Wendy’s location in Christiansburg—Wing’s first U.S. commercial market—with plans to explore other U.S. cities later this year. Dallas-Fort Worth, where Wing operates drone delivery with partners such as Walmart, is a potential candidate.

DoorDash views automation as a way to tailor solutions around customer demand and improve platform efficiency. Its partnership with Wing was born out of DoorDash Labs, a robotics and automation arm established in 2021. With the subsidiary still in its infancy, Christiansburg may well be the tip of the iceberg for DoorDash and Wing.

“We are committed to advancing last-mile logistics by building a multi-modal delivery platform that serves all sides of our marketplace,” said Harrison Shih, senior director of DoorDash Labs. “We’re optimistic about the value drone delivery will bring to our platform as we work to offer more efficient, sustainable, and convenient delivery options for consumers.”

Wing, along with medical drone delivery provider Zipline, is one of two titans in the drone delivery industry, having completed more than 350,000 deliveries. The company has flown in Christiansburg since 2019, the same year it launched service in Logan, Australia, a suburb of Brisbane.

In 2022, DoorDash became a partner, agreeing to facilitate Wing deliveries in Logan on its platform. The partners would ultimately expand the service to three locations in Australia’s Queensland region, with more than 60 participating merchants.

“Expanding our partnership with DoorDash and launching in the U.S. is a direct result of the success we’ve seen from our initial collaboration in Australia, where Wing has served tens of thousands of customers via the DoorDash app for over a year now,” said Cosimo Leipold, head of partnerships at Wing.

In Christiansburg, customers with eligible addresses can visit the DoorDash website or app and select the Wendy’s location at 2355 N. Franklin Street. At checkout, they’ll have the option to select drone delivery alongside standard delivery and pickup.

Wendy’s employees will prepare and package orders, and Wing drones will complete deliveries straight to the customer’s doorstep. From order to delivery, the process typically completes within 30 minutes. According to Wing’s early testing data from Australia, its fastest delivery took just over seven minutes.

DoorDash in 2022 explained that the service is intended for small, short-range deliveries, such as Wendy’s takeout orders, which are likely to yield smaller tips. Drones will complement the company’s delivery drivers, who will handle larger orders.

FLYING got a firsthand look at Wing’s service in Dallas-Fort Worth in October. At a Walmart Supercenter in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, the company’s operation occupies a small portion of the store’s parking lot. Other stores can set up Wing hubs on roofs or in adjacent empty spaces.

The system is almost entirely automated, designed to integrate within partners’ existing systems and workflows. All store associates need to do is bring orders from the store to the parking lot.

Wing handles things from there. An automated flight planning and uncrewed traffic management system plans routes, accounting for factors like weather, time of day, and other objects in the airspace. Then a Wing order loader attaches the payload to the drone’s tether.

All on its own, the drone takes off, flies to its destination, lowers the tether, releases the order, and flies back to continue charging. In the air, the aircraft cruises at 65 mph (56 knots) at roughly 200 feet, capable of flying in light wind, moderate rain, or even snow.

All Wing drones flying in the U.S. are overseen by operators at two Remote Operation Centers in Texas and California. Like air traffic controllers, they monitor dots on a screen and step in when an accident could occur. The company’s software also determines which drones might be in need of repairs and grounds them autonomously.

Soon, Wing’s operation will require even fewer people. The company is preparing to roll out its AutoLoader technology, which would eliminate the need for order loaders. Similar to curbside delivery, store associates will simply place orders outside for the drone to pick up on its own.

Wing is also developing a new, larger delivery drone with double the payload of its current model. About 3 in 10 Wing deliveries require two or more drones, and the updated design is intended to streamline those orders. It will complement the company’s existing model rather than replace it.

Recently, the firm obtained an FAA grant for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights without visual observers in Dallas. Visual observers are required by the FAA for BVLOS flights unless the operator has a waiver. Wing instead will use ADS-B transponders and receivers, extending the delivery range it has with human observers along its routes.

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Drones, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), and electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis may fly in the U.K. as soon as 2028, according to the country’s Department for Transport (DfT).

The DfT on Monday released the Future of Flight action plan: a joint blueprint created by industry and government stakeholders that aims to get eVTOL air taxis, crime-fighting drones, and emergency service UAS flying routinely by 2028.

The document seeks to ensure the proper regulations and infrastructure are in place to open the country’s skies to quiet, sustainable aircraft, providing guidance for the next five years.

“Aviation stands on the cusp of its next, potentially biggest, revolution since the invention of the jet engine,” said Sophie O’Sullivan, head of future safety and innovation for the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). “Drones, eVTOL, and other different vehicles have the potential to change transportation options forever.”

Drones are already being deployed by U.K. groups such as the West Midlands Police and Medical Logistics U.K. In just a few short years, they’ve demonstrated the ability to identify suspicious subjects and reduce travel time between hospitals by up to 70 percent. Meanwhile, air taxi models under development are expected to begin flying passengers in the coming years.

A study conducted by the DfT estimates that drone technology alone could boost the U.K. economy by 45 billion pounds—or about $57 billion—by the end of the decade.

“Drones help professional teams capture data from the sky in a safer, cheaper, smarter, and greener way, and, in the future, they will help transport cargo and people,” said Anne-Lise Scaillierez, CEO of the Association of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems UK (ARPAS-UK), a drone trade association.

The DfT plan predicts the first piloted flying taxi will take to the skies in 2026, with regular service following by 2028 and the first autonomous eVTOL demos by 2030. Regular drone deliveries are anticipated by 2027.

Anthony Browne—the U.K.’s aviation and technology minister, who on Monday is due to visit Bristol-based eVTOL air taxi manufacturer Vertical Aerospace—said the plan will make the country a leader of an approaching “dramatic shift in transportation.”

“Cutting-edge battery technology will revolutionize transport as we know it—this plan will make sure we have the infrastructure and regulation in place to make it a reality,” said Browne.

The CAA, which has already begun the authorization process for Vertical’s VX4 air taxi, will provide regulatory support for the Future of Flight plan and ensure new aircraft comply with the safety standards for traditional models. The agency figures to be a crucial stakeholder in the industry’s near-term development.

“The UK has a long heritage in aerospace, and the publication of this plan sets out how we will lead the next revolution of flight,” said  Stephen Fitzpatrick, founder and CEO of Vertical. “With government and business working together, we can unleash the huge economic, environmental, and social benefits of zero emissions flight globally.”

Among other things, the action plan calls for rules that would permit beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights, allowing the sector to grow without interfering with other aircraft. It also encourages engagement with communities and local authorities and the creation of standards to improve drone security. Drone operators would have access to new digital platforms, which could minimize the red tape associated with getting them in the air quickly.

The plan further sets out how smaller aerodromes could serve as vertiports for eVTOL aircraft, including the development vertiport certification standards. Crucially, it calls for stakeholders to study how existing infrastructure could be used to establish vertiports quickly but safely.

In the coming months, the DfT and its partners will conduct a series of trials to explore BVLOS drone flights and demonstrate electric aircraft, with the aim of minimizing accidents. The trials may include finding and repairing faults on railways, assisting emergency services, or using air taxis to create new connections across the U.K.

The action plan was released before the fifth meeting of the Future of Flight Industry Group: a joint force created in February 2023 to help government and industry leaders address key challenges. Members include air taxi manufacturers Vertical and Joby Aviation, operator Bristow Group, vertiport developer Skyports, and the U.K. National Air Traffic Service (NATS).

“The U.K. is home to one of the world’s most important aerospace industries and is in an ideal position to be a pioneer in the next era of aviation,” said Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports and chairman of the Future of Flight Industry Group. “The government and industry have a joint commitment to support the development, industrialization and introduction of new aviation technologies. Continued collaboration will ensure that we capitalize on the significant domestic and international market opportunities presented.”

Parallels can be drawn between the Future of Flight plan and the FAA’s Innovate28: a blueprint also targeting widespread drone and air taxi operations by 2028.

Like the U.K. plan, Innovate28 proposes a “crawl-walk-run” approach to air taxi operations in the U.S., focusing on a near-term rollout in stages over the next five years. It also proposes heavy reliance on existing infrastructure to decrease complexity.

As in the U.K., U.S. air taxi services are likely to be niche early on, with flights limited mostly to narrow corridors. Drones, which are already used widely, are expected to expand with the implementation of rules for BVLOS flights, among other provisions.

Ultimately, Innovate28’s goal is for eVTOL air taxis to fly at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, by which time operations are expected to have scaled in major cities.

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Drone pilots and manufacturers in the U.S. now face fines or suspensions if their drones are not equipped with remote identification technology.

As of Saturday, the FAA’s Remote ID rule—which mandates that all drones required to be registered with the agency include a “digital license plate” that broadcasts information such as ID number, location, and altitude—is in full effect. The rule is intended to allow the FAA, law enforcement, and other federal agencies to monitor unsafe flights as more drone pilots earn their wings.

Congress in 2016 directed the FAA to develop standards and regulations for remote identification of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) pilots and operators. The agency delivered its final remote ID guidelines in 2021 and began enforcing them on a discretionary basis in September, allowing additional time for some noncompliant models to be updated.

However, with the rule now in full effect, businesses, law enforcement agencies, and even recreational flyers face the possibility of their drone pilot license being revoked or civil penalties up to $27,500 for flying a drone without remote ID.

What Is Remote ID, and How Can You Comply?

Put simply, remote ID is like a drone’s digital license plate.

The technology transmits information such as the UAS’s unique ID number, location, altitude, velocity, and plenty more over a 2- to 3-mile range. That data (which does not include personal identifying information) is then made available to private and public stakeholders, which can alert the FAA of unsafe flight, request an aircraft be grounded, or simply find out more information about a drone.

A good rule of thumb is that if your UAS must be registered with the FAA, it needs to have remote ID. But as with many FAA rules and regulations, there are a few exceptions.

Drones weighing less than 0.55 pounds, for example, are exempt under the regulator’s Exception for Limited Recreational Operations. The agency can also waive remote ID compliance for operators conducting aeronautical research or in special cases under Part 89, such as for home-built drones.

Flights without remote ID in FAA-recognized identification areas (FRIAs)—areas of highly monitored airspace dedicated to drone flight, a full list of which can be found here—are also permitted. But the pilot must keep the drone within their visual line of sight. Educational institutions and FAA-recognized community-based organizations can apply to establish FRIAs.

According to the FAA, the vast majority of drones manufactured since September 2022 contain remote ID-compliant hardware. The catalogs of major brands such as DJI and Parrot, for example, largely contain models with the technology already installed.

If a drone was purchased before December 2022—the month the FAA began enforcing remote ID compliance for UAS manufacturers—owners can check the FAA website for a Declaration of Compliance (DOC), which confirms the model is equipped with the proper systems.

Additionally, recreational and Part 107 pilots can retrofit drones with remote ID capabilities using a remote ID broadcast module. Firms such as uAvionix and Dronetag offer FAA-approved modules that can make just about any drone compliant, though these limit pilots to visual-line-of-sight operations. Adding a module to a noncompliant drone requires the operator to register it with the FAA, even if it is already listed.

If the remote ID-compliant drone being registered is the user’s first, FLYING’s Part 107 remote pilot certification guide explains those steps. Recreational and Part 107 flyers with one or more drones already registered, meanwhile, can add new devices on FAADroneZone.

For Part 107 pilots, each device must be registered individually with a unique ID number. Recreational flyers can use the same registration number to cover all devices in their inventory and transfer broadcast modules from drone to drone. More information on registering remote ID drones and broadcast modules can be found in FLYING’s remote ID guide.

Manufacturers will also need to comply with the remote ID rule, unless an exception applies. These include exceptions for drones built at home, produced for the U.S. government, weighing less than 0.55 pounds, or designed exclusively for aeronautical research or to show compliance with another rule. Type-certified UAS are also exempt in many cases. Otherwise, the manufacturer must produce drones with remote ID systems already installed.

Further, UAS manufacturers must allow the FAA to audit their facilities, technical data, and any remote ID drone or broadcast module produced. Recurring audits must be performed and results provided to the FAA upon request.

On Monday, the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA)—two of the drone industry’s largest nonprofit organizations—published answers to frequently asked questions about remote ID, providing more guidance to pilots and manufacturers.

“Remote ID harmonizes the needs of UAS operators and law enforcement stakeholders, and compliance is absolutely necessary for the secure and scalable integration of UAS into the airspace,” said Michael Robbins, chief advocacy officer at AUVSI. “By providing a resource that addresses our community’s questions around the rule, our aim is to support widespread commercial drone operations and the benefits they bring to the communities where they operate.”

The reference document contains additional information about what remote ID is, how to comply with the new rule, and conditions for exemptions, among other guidance. Both AUVSI and CDA applauded the FAA’s commitment to enforcing provisions they believe will enable safer drone flight.

“Addressing safety and security is necessary in order to achieve scaled commercial drone operations,” said Lisa Ellman, executive director of the CDA. “Ultimately, industry [remote ID] rule compliance will enable communities across the United States to fully realize the safety, security, sustainability, public health, and equity benefits of drone technology.”

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Airservices Australia, an Australian government-owned organization responsible for aviation safety and services such as air traffic control (ATC) and rescue, has unveiled plans to accommodate a forecasted influx of millions of drones over the next two decades.

The organization on Monday tapped Frequentis Australasia—a regional arm of global communications provider Frequentis—to develop a digital air traffic management (ATM) system that could safely integrate millions of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) into the nation’s airspace.

Airservices said the system—which will allow it to incorporate drones, air taxis, and other uncrewed aircraft alongside traditional models—“will be at the core of Australia’s UAS traffic management (UTM) ecosystem.”

Airservices selected Frequentis as a partner following a comprehensive process that included several other applicants. It said the company “has proven experience in the delivery of operational UTM systems around the world.”

Backing up that assertion is the fact that Frequentis technology is used by the FAA, NASA, and the European Space Agency (ESA). The company is also a key stakeholder in the Single European Sky, a European Commission initiative aiming to reform the continent’s ATC system through better integration of European airspace.

“Frequentis is the only company worldwide to have successfully delivered UTM solutions to multiple Air Navigation Service Providers,” said Martin Rampl, managing director of Frequentis Australia. “This strategic partnership with Airservices Australia represents another important milestone in our mission to support the Australian airspace ecosystem with safe, efficient, and compliant integration of drones.”

Frequentis has been tasked with creating a Flight Information Management System (FIMS), which will be operated by Airservices and linked to the organization’s existing ATM system.

The FIMS will allow Airservices to share flight information between ATC, traditional aircraft, and uncrewed airspace users. According to the plan, drones, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis, and other new designs could all be flown alongside traditional aircraft.

“Drones are the biggest growth area in aviation, and our partnership with Frequentis to develop a FIMS will enable us to integrate traditional and new airspace users into increasingly busy airspace,” said Jason Harfield, CEO of Airservices. “With Frequentis, we will develop a FIMS that meets the needs of Australian airspace users and ensures we can safely integrate millions of drone flights with other users.”

An Airservices analysis published last month predicted that commercial drone flights in Australia will surge from around 1.5 million in 2023 to more than 60 million by 2043, assuming battery technology and propulsion systems advance incrementally and there is a permissive regulatory environment.

That represents an average increase in drone traffic of 20 percent per year. According to Airservices, new technologies will be needed to weather the coming storm.

Per the report, drones in Australia complete about 120,000 deliveries of food and goods every year. The country is the largest market of Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet, but many drones come from homegrown companies such as Swoop Aero and even the nation’s postal service. At the same time, more recreational flyers are taking to the skies as Australia develops drone regulations.

“Most companies based in Australia are looking to invest and grow their drone fleets by two to five times over the next five years alone,” the report forecast.

The exponential growth predicted by the report is expected to be driven largely by the transportation and logistics industries, which are forecast to account for 77 percent of the anticipated drone traffic increase.

The report further predicts that Australian farmers will make 500,000 drone flights annually to monitor crops, while police will complete 300,000 flights to support frontline personnel. Another 1.5 million deliveries are expected to be made to Australian households, and about 100,000 patients could be transported to hospitals using air ambulances, such as the Vertiia design from Australia’s AMSL Aero.

Electric air taxis will also be in the mix—those models are expected to make one million flights by 2043. Airservices said several providers are targeting Australian launches coinciding with the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane. Among them are AMSL and Boeing’s Wisk Aero.

The FAA has a similar plan, with launches expected to align with the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Before then, air taxis are expected to fly this summer at the 2024 Games in Paris.

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Aviation has its fair share of problems. The current pilot shortage of about 17,000 is only expected to grow by the end of the decade, and industry sustainability commitments may not achieve the target of net-zero aviation emissions by 2030, to name a few. But these issues, dire as they may be, present opportunities for innovation.

Venture capital firm UP.Partners last week published the 2024 edition of its annual Moving World Report, a deep dive into the movers and shakers in aviation and transportation more broadly. Though the industry’s challenges are steep, the company believes the introduction of new aircraft types—such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), hydrogen-powered, and blended wing body designs—offers hope that they can be solved.

“Our goal with this report is to equip industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and policymakers with a comprehensive understanding of these changes, enabling them to effectively navigate and shape the future of mobility,” said Cyrus Sigari, co-founder and managing partner of UP.Partners.

UP.Partners, which holds stakes in a range of mobility-focused startups, estimated that the pilot shortage will grow to 65,000 by 2030. At the same time, transportation is the biggest culprit of U.S. carbon emissions, with aviation contributing an estimated 8 percent within the segment. Based on announced pledges, UP.Partners claims aviation emissions are expected to rise 79 percent between 2020 and 2030—theoretically, that figure would need to be capped at 22 percent to remain in line with global net-zero by 2050 targets.

These issues will need to be addressed quickly. And an influx of new intercity and long-distance air mobility options may be the catalyst.

The Innovation Problem

According to UP.Partners, there’s an “innovation problem” in commercial aviation.

As Stripe CEO Patrick Collison pointed out, the inception of the Boeing 737 design is now closer in time to the Wright Flyer than it is to the present day. At the same time, efficiency gains in carbon-emissions reduction have leveled off over the past 70 years.

According to the report, those gains are due almost entirely to engine development rather than airframe innovation. However, commercial airlines are exploring blended wing body designs—which UP.Partners called the first major airframe innovation during that span—and other sustainable configurations. The U.S. Air Force in August awarded startup JetZero a $250 million contract to develop a blended wing body demonstrator, and Airbus previously announced a similar concept.

Emissions reductions may improve further with the introduction of electric and hydrogen aircraft. The report predicts electric models will hit the market in 2025, followed by hydrogen fuel cell designs in 2030 and hydrogen combustion aircraft in 2040. 

However, that comes with the caveat that electrifying or switching to hydrogen “likely has a limited impact, at a huge cost.”

UP.Partners estimated that electrifying all flights less than two hours could reduce emissions by 28 percent, a respectable figure. But electrifying or using hydrogen for longer flights—which account for the remaining 72 percent of emissions—is not technically or financially feasible with current technology.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is expected to bridge the gap, contributing to 65 percent of emissions reductions by 2050 according to International Air Transport Association (IATA) projections. However, the report estimates that SAF is still 43 percent more expensive than conventional jet fuel. Bringing those costs in line could take more than a decade, it predicted.

UP.Partners also raised concerns that certain SAF commitments may be examples of “greenwashing.” RyanAir, for example, has pledged to obtain about 10 percent of its fuel from SAF by 2030. But the airline does not know exactly where it will come from.

“There isn’t enough cooking oil in the world to power one day of green aviation,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said in December.

Electric Aircraft Have Arrived

Producing SAF and other sustainable fuels presents a massive challenge for aviation. But there are plenty of aircraft in development that will use them when the time comes.

In fact, many are already flying. The term drone may conjure up images of buzzing, microwave-sized aircraft. However, many designs resemble small cargo planes, with similar ranges and payloads. 

In 2023, electric drones completed 1 million deliveries. Commercial drone flights, meanwhile, have increased by 135 percent per year since 2018. Today, the aircraft mainly deliver air freight, parcels, and medical cargo. But the report predicts the pilot shortage will only accelerate the technology further, opening up even more use cases.

Adding to the momentum for drone delivery is its declining cost. According to UP.Partners research, the price is about $4 per delivery when a remote pilot is able to monitor multiple drones. That’s nearly one-third the price of a comparable automobile delivery, the firm said.

Per the report, Walmart is the world’s leading developer of drone delivery services outside of the war in Ukraine. In the past two years alone, the retailer completed more than 2,000 U.S. deliveries out of 36 hubs across seven states. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 1.8 million households are now eligible for drone delivery through Walmart and its partners.

Amazon Prime Air, meanwhile, has faltered. It has now been more than a decade since former CEO Jeff Bezos promised to permeate U.S. skies with drones, but the e-commerce giant has made only a handful of deliveries.

Compared to Walmart, Amazon has a few strategic disadvantages, UP.Partners said. For example, as Walmart partners with leading drone manufacturers and providers such as Zipline, Wing, Flytrex, and DroneUp, Amazon has taken a vertically integrated approach.

And while Walmart has more than 4,600 stores located within 90 percent of the U.S. population, Amazon has around 100 active fulfillment centers. However, Prime Air recently announced an international expansion and a ramp-up of its service in Texas.

As drones take to the skies, eVTOL aircraft may be the next to emerge. According to the report, there is an 18,000-unit global backlog for eVTOL aircraft valued at $111 billion. United Airlines leads the way, with large commitments for air taxis from Archer Aviation and Embraer’s Eve Air Mobility.

EHang, a Chinese manufacturer, completed the world’s first commercial passenger-carrying eVTOL air taxi flight in December, more than a year before the first American firm expects to enter service. But the industry is crowded. Several manufacturers are neck-and-neck on SMG Consulting’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Reality Index, a monthly report that measures a company’s ability to type certify and mass produce AAM aircraft. The top dogs include EHang, Archer, Eve, Joby Aviation, Beta Technologies, and Boeing’s Wisk Aero.

Meanwhile, personal, single-seat eVTOL designs, such as the Pivotal Helix, and “flying cars” capable of driving on the freeway and taking off from the runway, such as the Jetson One, have already entered service.

Automated flight systems, such as those from Xwing, Reliable Robotics, and Merlin Labs, are also approaching certification. And soon, the industry may even introduce humanoid co-pilots.

The arrow is certainly pointing up for drones, eVTOL, and other emerging designs as they attract investments from private firms. But according to the report, the U.S. Department of Defense is the single largest customer of mobility technology. 

Through innovation arm AFWERX, the Air Force is working with a plethora of manufacturers to develop the next generation of aviation technology. Contracted firms include Archer, Beta, Pipistrel, Xwing, and Reliable.

During periods of conflict—a fair characterization of today’s state of play—U.S. military spending and venture capital investment in defense go up, according to data from PitchBook and the Office of Management and Budget. So, it’s possible that wars in Europe and the Middle East will accelerate these projects even further.

Battle for the Final Frontier

Private industry, government, and other stakeholders are coming together to address the issues facing the planet’s skies. But some are looking higher.

2023 was a banner year for commercial space activity. About 13,000 satellites are now in orbit, a number UP.Partners expects to rise to 50,000 in 2030. Satellite constellations, led by SpaceX’s Starlink, have increased tenfold over the past four years. And dollars spent on global space activity have tripled over the past decade, buoyed by growth in commercial ventures.

Orbital launch attempts, meanwhile, have spiked following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with the U.S. and China leading the way. At the same time, the cost to send a satellite to low-Earth orbit (LEO) has declined significantly.

For example, SpaceX claims Starhip—the largest and most powerful rocket ever built—will deliver payloads for about $45 per pound. The spacecraft has attempted two suborbital test flights, both of which resulted in the loss of its rocket and booster and spurred FAA mishap investigations.

Still, SpaceX far surpasses all other launch providers in terms of payload, the report said. If successful, its Starship human landing system (HLS)—which NASA will use to return humans to the moon through the Artemis program—would drastically reduce the cost of lunar payload delivery compared to the Apollo program, from $36 billion to $70 million per ton.

However, UP.Partners worries that the U.S. may fail to lead in the final frontier. Venture capital investment in space startups has risen almost 3,500 percent over the past decade. But most space special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have fared poorly. For almost all of them, stock price as a percentage of valuation has declined more than 50 percent.

The report also raised concerns around the Artemis program. NASA in December delayed the Artemis III moon mission from 2025 to 2026, in part due to the issues facing Starship. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk estimated each lunar landing will require eight Starship launches to perform cryogenic refilling in orbit. But the Government Accountability Office predicts it will be double.

Any delay to Artemis or other U.S. space initiatives could open the door for China. The Eastern superpower is quickly accelerating its commercial space program, with companies such as Space Pioneer and Deep Blue already landing reusable rockets. Blue Origin and Stoke Space are among the U.S. firms developing similar spacecraft.

A Moving World

The issues facing aviation are not insignificant, nor are they easy—or cheap—to solve. The industry will soon need to complement or supplement thousands of pilots, eliminate significant  quantities of carbon, and maintain aircraft performance and efficiency while doing it.

The good news is that pressure makes diamonds. While it may not be enough just yet, hundreds of startups are pouring billions of dollars into new airframes, fuels, and other technologies.

However, regulation will need to catch up with innovation. The FAA has finalized some early drone regulations, for example, but still needs to address flight beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight (BVLOS). AAM regulations, meanwhile, are still in a primitive state—only initial guidelines have been released.

For the U.S.—or any nation—to lead aviation into a greener, more efficient future, regulators will have just as large a role to play as the manufacturers themselves.

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The post Moving World Report 2024: Breaking Down Challenges, Opportunities in Aviation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter, our weekly look at the biggest stories in emerging aviation technology. From low-altitude drones to high-flying rockets at the edge of the atmosphere, we’ll take you on a tour of the modern flying world to help you make sense of it all.

Now for this week’s top story:

NFL Drone Incursions Prompt Super Bowl Flight Restrictions

What happened? A recent incident involving a rogue drone pilot at an NFL game has drawn the attention of the FAA, which announced a temporary flight restriction (TFR) within 2 nm of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, the venue for Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

The incident: A Pennsylvania man faces felony federal charges and up to four years in prison for flying an unlicensed drone at the AFC championship game on January 28, pitting the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The pilot also did not possess a remote pilot certificate.

TFRs around stadiums are standard during NFL regular-season and playoff games since 9/11, typically restricting drones that fly at or below 3,000 feet agl within 3 nm of any venue that seats 30,000 or more. But stadiums are often ill-equipped to enforce the rules, and only the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have the authority to jam or bring the drones down.

Super Bowl Security: Given a rise in drone-related incursions, the FAA this week outlined the TFR in place around Allegiant Stadium and the surrounding area. Flights of all kinds will be heavily restricted on game day, with various other limitations in place throughout the week. The agency also released guidelines for GA pilots and other pilots.

Like traditional pilots, drone pilots who enter the TFR without permission could face criminal prosecution or fines in excess of $30,000, or their drone may be confiscated. The worries are not unfounded. During Super Bowl LIII between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams in 2019, a drone nearly caused a midair collision with Air Force F-16s over Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Quick quote: “Without a change in federal law, mass gatherings will remain at risk from malicious and unauthorized drone operations. For more than a year, we have been calling for passage of the bipartisan Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act, which would empower state and local law enforcement to safely mitigate drones…It’s time for Congress to act,” the NFL said in a statement to FLYING.

My take: The bill the NFL spokesperson is referring to, introduced in May, would extend FBI and DHS drone takedown authority to officials who can act more quickly, or who may even be on-site. The legislation has been endorsed by the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, and NCAA.

And given how common the issue has become, the bill may be necessary. Cathy Lanier, NFL chief of security, estimated there were some 2,500 drone-related incursions over stadiums during the league’s 2022 season—nearly double the 1,300 such incidents the season prior. None of these have resulted in injury. But a few drones have dropped items such as leaflets into crowds of spectators, raising alarm bells about what else they could carry.

Officials are also wary of rogue drones at airports. Occasionally, these have led to mass flight delays or cancellations, including at the two largest airports in the U.K. Increasingly, drones have been reported to smuggle contraband or weapons into prisons or across the U.S. southern border.

Deep dive: Could One Pilot’s Mistake Deter Rogue Drones at the Super Bowl?

In Other News…

Airbus Charts Path for Electric Air Taxi Rollout in Italy

What happened? The manufacturer of popular aircraft such as the A320 family also has its sights set on advanced air mobility (AAM). Airbus this week added two new partners to its collaboration with ITA Airways, the flag carrier of Italy, with an eye toward standing up an AAM ecosystem in the Mediterranean country, including electric aircraft, chargers, and vertiports.

Gli aerotaxi: That’s Italian for “the air taxis,” and Airbus’ electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) CityAirbus NextGen could fly in the country in the next few years. The manufacturer expects to obtain European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) CS-23 certification for the air taxi in 2025, it has said previously.

On February 1, Airbus and ITA added vertiport operator UrbanV and green energy firm Enel—which will assist airfields with the transition to electric infrastructure—to the partnership. Without a vast network of electric aircraft chargers and vertiports, air taxis will have a difficult time scaling. The electric ground vehicle industry has addressed the issue by installing universally accessible systems nationwide.

Deep dive: Airbus Expands Partnership for Italy Air Taxi Rollout

Air Taxi Manufacturer EHang Reveals Low $330K Price Tag for Flagship Model

What happened? Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang—which in October obtained the world’s first type certificate for an air taxi, its flagship EH216-S—plans to sell the aircraft for just $330,000 in China. Though the price tag is only intended for the firm’s home country, EHang intends to expand nationwide as early as this year, and it could undercut competitors.

The air taxi landscape: Outside of Lilium and its $10 million Pioneer Edition Jet, few of EHang’s competitors have publicly stated price tags for their air taxi designs. But using available information and a bit of math, it’s possible to estimate where EHang stands.

United Airlines’ purchase of up to 200 Archer Aviation Midnight aircraft for $1 billion, for example, equates to $5 million per unit. Per a 2021 investor presentation, rival Joby Aviation estimated its S4 will cost about $1.5 million each to produce. And based on previously announced aircraft orders, Beta Technologies’ Alia sells for about $4 million. Other players are also looking in this range, which is in a different stratosphere from EHang’s $330,000 list price.

Deep Dive: EHang Reveals Low $330K Price Tag for Self-Flying Electric Air Taxi

And a Few More Headlines:

• Archer has begun building three type-conforming Midnight aircraft to use in for-credit FAA testing later this year.

• Space tourism business Virgin Galactic is grounded by the FAA after an alignment pin detached during its latest mission.

• Beta and Bristow Group demonstrated the former’s Alia conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) aircraft.

• Hybrid-electric airplane manufacturer Heart Aerospace raised $107 million in a series B round.

• Drone racing has been confirmed as an event at The World Games 2025, the lesser-known sibling of the Olympic Games.

On the Horizon…

There’s more drone-related legislation making its way onto Capitol Hill.

The Drone Evaluation to Eliminate Cyber Threats Act of 2024 (DETECT Act), introduced Wednesday by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and John Thune (R-S.C.), calls on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) within the Department of Commerce to create cybersecurity guidelines for government use of drones.

Among other things, DETECT would set cybersecurity guidelines for all U.S. government agencies, prohibiting them from acquiring drones that don’t fit the standards. It also directs the Office of Management and Budget to enforce the rules whenever they are codified. Warner and Thune previously introduced several bills taking aim at the perceived threat of drones manufactured in China.

The FAA too has its eye on drones. The regulator on Thursday released its final report from the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Detection and Mitigating Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). That’s a mouthful, but essentially, the ARC’s recommendations could align stakeholders in regards to the way they monitor drones and take down rogue aircraft. The ARC comprises representatives from more than 50 groups in the crewed and uncrewed aviation communities, government entities, law enforcement, subject matter experts, and others.

While the final UAS Detecting and Mitigating Systems report was welcomed with open arms by groups such as the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), the FAA still awaits reauthorization. This week, members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure committee called on new FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker to “pick up the slack,” arguing that portions of the House-approved bill could be implemented by the agency without congressional authority.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. The 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium wrapped up Thursday in Silicon Valley, California, but here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Drone Show Korea 2024—March 6-8 in Busan, South Korea
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—March 17-19 in Jerusalem
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 
• Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 80—May 7-9 in Montreal

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The post The FAA’s Plan to Stop Drones from Spoiling the Super Bowl appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers approaches, one drone pilot’s costly mistake could deter others from disrupting the final game of the National Football League (NFL) season.

A Pennsylvania man faces felony federal charges and up to four years in prison after flying a drone over the Baltimore Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium during the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship game between the Ravens and Chiefs on January 28, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. The pilot violated a temporary flight restriction (TFR) that is standard for all league regular season and playoff games.

“Illegally operating drones poses a significant security risk that will lead to federal charges,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron. “Temporary flight restrictions are always in place during large sporting events.”

The incursion, which briefly stopped play, was the latest in a string of incidents involving drones over American professional sports stadiums. In fact, M&T Bank Stadium encountered a similar situation in October that prompted an FAA investigation. Stadium officials also reportedly intercepted five drones during a November contest between the Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

In the wake of the disruptions, the FAA last week designated Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas—the venue for Super Bowl LVIII—as a “no drone zone” on the day of the big game, as well as during the week leading up to it.

The Incident

According to federal prosecutors, Matthew Hebert, 44, flew a DJI drone from about one mile outside M&T Bank Stadium into the venue during the first quarter of the AFC Championship matchup. 

The small, buzzing aircraft was “deemed a serious enough threat” to halt play, prompting an “administrative timeout.” That procedure became standard following a 2022 incident at the Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium (now Paycor Stadium). Now, NFL Security pauses games and clears the field whenever a rogue drone is detected.

The FAA had placed a TFR around M&T Bank Stadium, prohibiting drone flights within 3 nm of the venue, including one hour before and after gameplay. The protocol is standard for all regular and postseason NFL, MLB, NASCAR, and NCAA Division I contests.

Maryland State Police tracked the drone to its landing site, where they deployed troopers and found Hebert. The pilot told authorities he had purchased the drone—which was unregistered—in 2021. Hebert also did not possess a remote pilot certificate, which is required by the FAA to operate most drones under 55 pounds (with exceptions for recreational flyers).

Hebert used his DJI account, which is supposed to inform users of TFRs, to operate the drone. As he had done on previous occasions, he relied exclusively on the account to tell him where flights were permitted. The application noted no restrictions, so Hebert assumed it was safe to fly.

Allegedly, Hebert flew the drone above 320 feet for about two minutes, taking six photos of himself and the stadium and possibly a video. The penalties for knowingly operating an unregistered drone and for knowingly serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate—the charges Hebert faces—total three years in federal prison. The pilot also faces a maximum of one year for willful violation of U.S. National Defense Airspace.

The Maryland Attorney’s Office noted, however, that actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum.

“Operating a drone requires users to act responsibly and educate themselves on when and how to use them safely,” said R. Joseph Rothrock, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI would like to remind the public of the potential dangers of operating a drone in violation of federal laws and regulations.  The reckless operation of a UAS in the vicinity of a large crowd can be dangerous to the public, as well as interfere with other law enforcement and security operations.”

A federal district court judge will determine Hebert’s sentence. His initial appearance and arraignment will be scheduled this month.

Sounding the Alarm

The rising number of drone incursions has worried players, coaches, league officials, aviators, and even members of Congress. Only a handful of these have occurred during actual gameplay, and none have resulted in injury, despite a few close calls. But the aircraft in the past have dropped items such as leaflets into stadiums, raising alarm bells about what else they could deploy.

“We’re concerned about somebody who would use [drones] in a nefarious way and drop a grenade that would do considerable damage and possibly kill individuals,” Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chair of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, told NBC News in October.

Cathay Lanier, NFL chief of security and the former chief of police for Washington, D.C., from 2007 to 2016, said drone incursions over NFL stadiums nearly doubled between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, from about 1,300 to 2,500.

One incident even took place at a previous Super Bowl. During the winner-take-all game between the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams in 2019, an FBI team spotted a drone moments before a fleet of Air Force F-16s were set to perform a flyover of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. In the nick of time, the agency managed to tell the pilots to fly at a higher altitude. Had it not, the results could have been catastrophic.

According to counter-drone firm Dedrone, major sporting events in 2023 saw 4,000 illegal drone violations across 60 stadiums, a 20 percent increase year over year. Las Vegas, where the Chiefs and 49ers will square off on Sunday, uses the company’s DedroneCityWide, which covers critical areas of the city such as stadiums, airports, and the Las Vegas Strip. The city began using the software in the wake of the 2017 Mandalay Bay mass shooting.

“We realized that we had to analyze all potential threat vectors to our city, including drones,” said the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. “Ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, our collaboration with external security and public safety groups, both public and private, is essential to providing a safe environment to attendees, players, staff, and the citizens of Clark County.”

However, counter-drone measures in the past have proven ineffective against rogue aircraft. Following 9/11, the FAA created a TFR for stadiums and other large venues prohibiting drones that fly at or below 3,000 feet agl within 3 nm of any stadium that seats 30,000 or more.

But by and large, stadiums lack the infrastructure to enforce these rules. Only a handful of venues—including M&T Bank Stadium—have any form of aerial security. Yet the Ravens’ home field has seen at least three drone incursions in the past five months.

When a drone does enter the airspace, stadiums have little recourse. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are the only U.S. agencies authorized to bring down rogue drones. But out of about 121,000 requests for FBI and DHS counter-drone support to stadiums since 2018, only 77 have been approved, according to Lanier.

“[Drones] enter that restricted airspace, they are violating the law,” Lanier said in an interview with NBC News. “All we’re asking for is the ability to take control of that drone and move it out of our airspace.”

Ben Wenger, chief revenue officer of Dedrone, added: “The federal government clearly understands the threat posed by drones, or the FAA wouldn’t have put these TFRs in place ahead of the game. Although not every drone flight we recorded was nefarious in origin, some of them were—and those are the kinds of flights that can stop games or ruin concerts and other events being held at stadiums.”

To address the issue, Peters and Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.) introduced Senate legislation that would extend drone takedown authority to state and local law enforcement. The proposal has received bipartisan support and endorsements from the NFL, NCAA, MLB, and NASCAR. But unless it becomes law, stadium officials will remain stuck with little recourse.

“Without a change in federal law, mass gatherings will remain at risk from malicious and unauthorized drone operations,” the NFL said in a statement to FLYING. “For more than a year, we have been calling for passage of the bipartisan Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act, which would empower state and local law enforcement to safely mitigate drones like the two that disrupted the game in Baltimore. It’s time for Congress to act.”

Supervising the Super Bowl

Given the growing number of incursions, the FAA felt the need to emphasize the TFR in place before and during Super Bowl LVIII.

At 11:00 a.m. PST on Sunday, drones will be prohibited from flying within 2 nm of Allegiant Stadium up to 2,000 feet agl. Between 2:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., the restrictions will expand to a 30 nm radius and 18,000 feet in agl. At various times between Monday and Friday, drone flight will also be restricted within 1 nm of Allegiant, the Resorts World area, and Wynn Casino.

The “inner ring” within 10 nm of the stadium will be accessible only to approved law enforcement or military aircraft, as well as certain regularly scheduled commercial passenger and cargo carriers. Other operations, such as flight training, survey operations, and ultralight flight, are unauthorized for the entire TFR.

Drone pilots—just like traditional ones—who enter the Super Bowl TFR without permission could face criminal prosecution or fines in excess of $30k, or their drone may be confiscated. Additional details on the TFR can be found here. The FAA has also released guidance for non-drone pilots, including GA pilots specifically.

“We continue to see considerable efforts made to crack down on illegal drone incursions at big events, and the arrest of the drone pilot following the AFC Championship game is a good example of how serious law enforcement takes these incidents,” said Mary-Lou Smulders, chief marketing officer and head of government affairs at Dedrone. “It is safe to say that counter-drone measures will be a significant part of security efforts both at the Super Bowl and the surrounding events taking place all week long.”

The trend of drone incursions could continue beyond Super Bowl LVIII, however. According to the FAA, there were 860,000 registered drones in the U.S. in 2022—a number the regulator predicted could surpass 2.6 million by 2025. Pilots, meanwhile, are reporting more unauthorized drone sightings than ever before.

Officials are also wary of rogue drones at airports, which occasionally have led to mass flight delays or cancellations. Increasingly, the aircraft have been reported to smuggle contraband or weapons into prisons or across the U.S. southern border.

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The post Could One Pilot’s Mistake Deter Rogue Drones at the Super Bowl? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The lesser-known sibling of the Olympic Games will treat drone pilots as professional athletes.

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale or World Air Sports Federation (FAI) confirmed that drone racing will be included as an event at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China, following its debut at the 2022 Games in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11-day event, held every four years since 1981, features sports that didn’t make the cut for the Olympics.

In August 2025, 32 drone pilots from around the world will don first-person-view (FPV) goggles and fly radio-controlled drones through brightly lit gates and other obstacles. The drones, which pilots often build themselves, can reach speeds faster than 100 mph.

The World Games are hosted by the International World Games Association: a nonprofit organization comprising 39 international sports federations backed by the International Olympic Committee. The Chengdu Games will be the event’s twelfth installment and the third time an Asian city has hosted.

The 2022 event in Birmingham included 3,257 athletes from 99 nations, 23 venues, 377,000 spectators, and 58 disciplines across 34 sports: including, for the first time within the air sports category, drone racing. The category, established by FAI ahead of the 1997 Games, has also featured parachuting, paragliding, and aerobatics.

Drone racing has quickly caught on in the World Games sphere. Drone pilot Luisa Rizzo of Italy, for example, was runner-up for The World Games 2023 Athlete of the Year award, garnering more than 55,000 votes in the final 24 hours of voting.

According to FAI, preparations for Chengdu are already underway, and venues and pilots will be announced leading up to the event. The organization anticipates a high number of junior pilots, similar to its World Drone Racing Championships (WDRC) in October.

Held annually, the WDRC is the world’s largest drone racing competition. It pits pilots against one another as they zip around specially designed courses. At The World Games, as many as six radio-controlled multirotor aircraft at a time will compete for the fastest time around a closed circuit featuring gates and other obstacles.

The drones will weigh no more than 1 kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) and be equipped with on-board video cameras. These will transmit real-time video to the pilots’ FPV goggles, allowing them to control the drones. But the aircraft often hit speeds above 100 mph, so their reflexes will need to be quick. Races are expected to last about three minutes, taking place indoors and outdoors, day or night.

FAI introduced the “e-Drone” Racing Cup—a virtual version of the typical competition—and drone soccer at last year’s WDRC. In addition, the federation hosts the Drone Racing World Cup, a series of open events taking place throughout the year. To compete, pilots need an FAI Sporting License or Permission for Drone Racing. Eleven events are on the agenda for 2024, according to FAI’s website.

For junior pilots who don’t quite feel ready for the big stage, good news: Plenty of middle schools, high schools, and colleges in the U.S. have introduced drone racing programs for students. Organizations such as MultiGP and Drones in School are helping to introduce a younger generation to drone piloting, and aviation more generally. The increasingly popular competitions are popping up around the country—perhaps they’ve already discovered the next drone racing world champion.

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The post On Your Mark, Get Set, Fly: Drone Racing to Be Featured at The World Games 2025 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter, our weekly look at the biggest stories in emerging aviation technology. From low-altitude drones to high-flying rockets at the edge of the atmosphere, we’ll take you on a tour of the modern flying world to help you make sense of it all.

Now for this week’s top story:

Clay Lacy Aviation to Bring Electric Air Taxis to FBOs

What happened? Clay Lacy, the famed aviator, is thought to have flown more hours on turbine aircraft than any pilot in history. But Clay Lacy Aviation, the company Lacy founded (and no longer has any association with the founder), is looking to fly electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and other futuristic designs out of its FBO network in Southern California in partnership with Overair.

Old dog, new tricks: Clay Lacy Aviation is one of the oldest private jet charters and fleet operators in the Western U.S., with two full-service FBOs in Southern California and a third in the works on the East Coast. But the experienced provider is embracing the new generation of advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft, such as Overair’s Butterfly eVTOL air taxi.

The partnership will center around the development of vertiports at Clay Lacy Aviation’s John Wayne Airport (KSNA) and Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) locations, as well as a concept of operations for Butterfly and other AAM aircraft that could fly in the region. Overair has similar agreements with Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (KDFW) and the city of Arlington, Texas.

Air taxis for all: This week’s collaboration follows Clay Lacy Aviation’s agreement with Joby Aviation to install the latter’s global electric aviation charging system (GEACS) at John Wayne. Overair, however, has backed the combined charging system (CCS) standard widely used by electric ground vehicles and endorsed by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

Both GEACS and CCS are designed to be universally accessible to electric aircraft—each could charge Overair’s Butterfly, for example. But Joby has clashed with some of its air taxi rivals, with each side asserting their framework as the industry standard. Clay Lacy Aviation, though, plans to build electric infrastructure at its FBOs that will support both charging system proposals.

Quick quote: “Clay Lacy Aviation is committed to installing the electrical infrastructure to support all makes and models of electric aircraft, both fixed wing and eVTOL, to encourage the adoption of electric flight. In planning our new FBO development at John Wayne Airport, we are speaking with multiple OEMs and our local utility provider to ensure that the electric infrastructure we build out can support both CCS and GEACS charging protocols,” Scott Cutshall, senior vice president of strategy and sustainability at Clay Lacy Aviation, told FLYING.

My take: Joby and CCS-supporting competitors, such as Archer Aviation and Beta Technologies, each argue their proposed framework will be the sole industry standard. They may be right about there being one winner—major OEMs and operators will probably design and plan for one standard rather than both. It’s just easier that way.

But what if they’re wrong, and both standards can coexist? Clay Lacy Aviation and Overair appear to believe in a multipolar world, with both GEACS and CCS infrastructure fitting into the ecosystem. Atlantic Aviation, another FBO network, recently partnered with Joby, Archer, and Beta to install both kinds of chargers at its sites. These moves may be contingency plans should one system supplant the other. But either way, FBOs are building infrastructure to support both.

For what it’s worth, both CCS and the North American charging system (NACS) developed by Tesla have been viable options in the electric ground vehicle space. But CCS is slowly losing out as Ford, General Motors, and other large automakers switch over to NACS.

Deep dive: Clay Lacy Aviation, Overair Partner to Bring Air Taxis to Southern California

In Other News…

Historic Astronaut Crew Begins Research at Space Station

What happened? The multinational crew of Axiom Mission 3—or Ax-3, the third private astronaut mission to the International Space Station chartered by Houston-based Axiom Space—arrived at the orbital lab and began conducting more than 30 experiments. The crew will research microgravity, space botany, and even methods of preventing cancer.

Astronauts around the world: A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying the crew of Ax-3—the first all-European commercial astronaut mission to the space station—docked Saturday morning. The crew, comprising Spanish, Turkish, Swedish, and Italian nationals, joined space station occupants from the U.S., Europe, and East Asia.

The combined crews will work together for two weeks studying a wide array of low-Earth orbit (LEO) activities. Astronauts are exploring how microgravity, for example, affects neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and are even using it to try to prevent and predict cancer. Other studies focus on plant growth, remote planetary exploration, and the effects of zero gravity on astronaut stress.

Deep dive: First All-European Commercial Astronaut Crew Begins Research at Space Station

North American Manufacturers to Ship $1.3B Worth of Electric Aircraft to India

What happened? JetSetGo, an Indian fleet operator and marketplace for private jet and helicopter charters, ordered up to 280 electric aircraft in three separate deals with a combined value of $1.3 billion. Each aircraft—Overair’s Butterfly, Horizon Aircraft’s Cavorite X7, and Electra.aero’s hybrid electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL)—offers different advantages.

Mix and match: JetSetGo said the combination of the three aircraft will create an “optimal mix” to serve five use cases: airport transfers, regional connectivity, intercity commute, intracity shuttles, and urban air taxis. The agreements lock it into 150 firm orders: 50 from each manufacturer for a combined $780 million. But each includes options for more aircraft.

Overair’s Butterfly introduces two technologies never before seen in eVTOL aircraft, designed to reduce energy demand and enable smoother flights. Horizon’s X7 employs a unique “fan-in-wing” configuration and blends features of a conventional aircraft with an eVTOL. And Electra’s design can take off and land with just 150 feet of runway.

Deep Dive: India’s JetSetGo Orders $1.3B Worth of Electric Aircraft from 3 Manufacturers

And a Few More Headlines:

• Vertical Aerospace founder Stephen Fitzpatrick committed $50 million to keep the air taxi manufacturer liquid through mid-2025.

• NASA and Archer partnered to test electric air taxi battery systems for potential use in spaceflight.

• Electra topped 2,000 preorders for its nine-seat hybrid eSTOL following its agreement with JetSetGo.

• Walmart partner DroneUp became the latest drone delivery firm to earn new flight permissions from the FAA.

• An attempted first lunar landing by a private company ended before reaching the moon as Astrobotic’s Peregrine lander returned to Earth.

On the Horizon…

Chinese-made drones could be transmitting sensitive U.S. information back to China, at least according to the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The agencies released a report emphasizing the Chinese government’s outsized control over domestic company data—and urging American firms to avoid buying drones from DJI and other Chinese manufacturers.

DJI, though not specifically named in the guidance, has already pushed back on the allegations and characterizations made by the U.S. government. The company, responsible for an estimated 7 in 10 consumer drone sales worldwide, has been the target of seemingly endless bans from U.S. lawmakers, who have decried its drones as “TikTok with wings.”

As the U.S. attempts to restrict drones, the U.K. is embracing air taxis. The country’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) launched a consultation for vertiport design proposals, with the aim of installing the eVTOL hubs at existing airfields nationwide. As in the U.S., the strategy is to leverage existing infrastructure for early operations of air taxis and other AAM aircraft.

Finally, European Commission officials this week said they intend to release a draft of the first comprehensive European space law by March. The finer details of the legislation are largely a mystery, though the expectation is it will address safety and sustainability concerns and harmonize space regulations across European Union member states.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium—February 6-8 in Silicon Valley, California
• Drone Show Korea 2024—March 6-8 in Busan, South Korea
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—March 17-19 in Jerusalem
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 
• Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 80—May 7-9 in Montreal

Tweet of the Week

Want to see your tweet here next week? Have comments or feedback? Share your thoughts on X (formerly Twitter) and tag me (@jack_daleo)! Or check out FLYING’s media accounts:

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Facebook: FLYING Magazine – Home (facebook.com)

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I want to hear your questions, comments, concerns, and criticisms about everything in the modern flying space, whether they’re about a new drone you just bought or the future of space exploration. Reach out to jack@flying.media or tweet me @jack_daleo with your thoughts.

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Longtime Walmart partner DroneUp has joined a select group of drone delivery firms with expanded permissions from the FAA.

The drone delivery and logistics company announced Thursday that the regulator has approved it for flight beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator, making it one of a handful of companies with a BVLOS waiver for medical deliveries.

“Securing BVLOS approval is a testament to our dedication to safety and innovation,” said DroneUp CEO Tom Walker. “We have some significant technologies coming out of stealth this year, which when combined with BVLOS, will unlock commercial scalability that the industry and our customers have been eagerly awaiting.”

For safety reasons, the FAA requires drone flights to be visually monitored by the operator. However, the agency occasionally awards waivers that enable BVLOS flights with certain restrictions, such as visual observers (VOs) stationed along the route. 

A handful of firms—including another medical drone delivery company, Zipline—advanced past that stage in September, receiving FAA approval to remove VOs as well. DroneUp’s Part 107 waiver requires one or more VOs to monitor for other aircraft in the airspace within 2 sm of the drone. But they won’t need to maintain a visual on the drone itself.

“Our ability to fly BVLOS propels us into the next level of using drone technology, undoubtedly enhancing the efficiency of medical deliveries, ensuring that crucial supplies reach healthcare facilities and patients promptly,” said John Vernon, chief technology officer of DroneUp.

DroneUp said its waiver allows it to immediately begin flying BVLOS for Riverside Health System, a customer with facilities spread throughout Virginia. According to the company, the approval will also clear a path for BVLOS deployments across the country with new and existing customers.

Two other Walmart drone delivery partners—Zipline and Wing, the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet—have similarly expanded their BVLOS permissions as the massive retailer scales its network.

Wing is one of the first drone delivery firms to leverage what the FAA calls a summary grant. Essentially, these are streamlined authorizations for “copycat” companies with similar infrastructure, aircraft, and technology to those who have already been approved. Wing, for example, piggybacked off of Zipline’s BVLOS waiver.

Zipline, UPS Flight Forward, Phoenix Air Unmanned, and uAvionix were the four firms in the FAA’s initial cohort of BVLOS recipients named last year. The agency carefully selected each company in order to open summary grants to a variety of industries. Zipline’s waiver, for example, provides a framework for BVLOS medical drone delivery, while UPS Flight Forward’s does the same for parcel drone delivery.

DroneUp—like Zipline, Wing, and other waiver recipients—says its approval could substantially reduce operational costs by cutting down on required human resources. The authorization could also expand the firm’s operations: Humans will no longer be required to visually observe its drones, creating the potential for longer routes.

Waivers such as DroneUp’s will help the FAA learn more about BVLOS operations as the regulator works to develop a final BVLOS rule. So far, the agency has convened a committee of industry stakeholders and studied its final recommendations. But there is still no firm timeline for an official set of industrywide BVLOS regulations.

In lieu of a final rule, expect the FAA to continue issuing BVLOS waivers and summary grants, which will give certain communities a glimpse of what drone delivery may look like at scale. DroneUp and Walmart currently fly out of 36 hubs in seven states, so perhaps yours will be next.

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Another week, another push by the U.S. government to diminish the dominance of Chinese drones.

The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) this week released a report highlighting the threats posed by Chinese manufacturers of uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS)—including DJI, which accounts for an estimated 7 in 10 global sales of consumer drones.

The report, titled “Cybersecurity Guidance: Chinese-Manufactured UAS,” holds no legal standing but recommends critical infrastructure and cybersecurity safeguards to American firms at the state, local, tribal, and territorial levels. Its publication comes after 16 lawmakers wrote to CISA Director Jen Easterly in March, requesting an investigation and report on DJI’s U.S. activity—and the security risks it may raise.

“Without mitigations in place, the widespread deployment of Chinese-manufactured UAS in our nation’s key sectors is a national security concern, and it carries the risk of unauthorized access to systems and data,” said Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division. “The FBI and our CISA partners have issued UAS guidance in order to help safeguard our critical infrastructure and reduce the risk for all of us.”

The FBI and CISA contend People’s Republic of China (PRC) laws expand the government’s legal grounds to access and control data held by Chinese firms. Chinese-made UAS are frequently used in U.S. critical infrastructure operations, which could expose sensitive information to the PRC, the agencies claim.

The report further lays out the vulnerabilities and consequences for U.S. drone firms operating without the proper cybersecurity protocols. The fear is that widely used strategies are inadequate, giving China access to key data that could support its aims—and decimate U.S. national and economic security.

“Our nation’s critical infrastructure sectors, such as energy, chemical, and communications, are increasingly relying on UAS for various missions that ultimately reduce operating costs and improve staff safety,” said Dr. David Mussington, executive assistant director for infrastructure security at CISA. “However, the use of Chinese-manufactured UAS risks exposing sensitive information that jeopardizes U.S. national security, economic security, and public health and safety.”

The report comes amid a wave of bans targeting Chinese drone manufacturers. U.S. lawmakers have referred to the aircraft as “TikTok with wings,” in reference to the alleged spying taking place on the popular, China-owned social media platform.

Despite China’s decision to curb drone exports amid escalating tension in Russia and Ukraine, lawmakers are still wary of DJI and others. One provision made it into the recently approved defense policy bill, banning the procurement and use of China- and Russia-made drones at the federal level. Another bill, introduced by Representatives Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), proposes restrictions at state and local levels.

“The new CISA report makes clear that Communist Chinese drones present a legitimate national security risk to our critical infrastructure and must be banned from the U.S.,” Stefanik and Gallagher said in a joint statement on Wednesday. “The [Chinese Communist Party] has subsidized drone companies such as DJI and Autel in order to destroy American competition and spy on America’s critical infrastructure sites. We must ban CCP-backed spy drones from America and work to bolster the U.S. drone industry.”

Like the lawmakers, the report does not provide hard evidence of espionage. Rather, it outlines the conditions in China and the U.S. that could allow the PRC to acquire sensitive data.

Stefanik and Gallagher were not alone in their praise. The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), a global UAS industry trade group, also applauded the report, challenging Congress to end China’s “monopolistic control” of the U.S. market in favor of domestic manufacturers.

“China’s dominance of the global drone market poses a multitude of challenges for the U.S., and the CISA and FBI warning affirms the threat PRC drones present to our national security,” said Michael Robbins, chief advocacy officer of AUVSI. “As CISA and the FBI noted in their memo [Wednesday], in the interest of national security, organizations collecting sensitive information, including critical infrastructure owners and operators, must shift away from unsecure PRC drones and reliance on foreign supply chains.”

The report’s release comes less than one week after DJI launched global sales of its first delivery drone, unveiled in August. Some observers worry the aircraft—which is more powerful than the company’s consumer drones—could be modified for war, as has been the case in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Threat and Mitigation

According to the FBI and CISA, any UAS can pose cybersecurity risks. But China’s laws give the country’s government expansive legal grounds to control data held by Chinese firms, they warn.

“The use of Chinese-manufactured UAS in critical infrastructure operations risks exposing sensitive information to PRC authorities, jeopardizing U.S. national security, economic security, and public health and safety,” the agencies wrote.

A 2017 law, for example, requires Chinese companies to cooperate with state intelligence services and share data collected domestically and abroad. These include firms identified by the U.S. as “Chinese military companies,” such as DJI.

The PRC’s 2021 Data Security Law expanded government control over companies and data within China, with strict penalties for noncompliance. Data collected under the policy is essential to China’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy, the FBI and CISA said. The strategy aims to usurp the United States’ strategic advantage by providing access to advanced technology and expertise.

Another 2021 law requires Chinese firms to disclose cyber vulnerabilities discovered in their systems to the PRC before sharing them publicly or overseas. This, the agencies maintain, may provide the opportunity for China to exploit system flaws before they are widely known.

The FBI and CISA argue that each UAS adds a node that could be the target of a cyberattack. These could take the form of data transfer and collection via internet-connected devices such as cellphones, patching or firmware updates, or even downloads through other systems in the network, such as docking stations.

The attacks, according to the agencies, could expose U.S. intellectual property to Chinese companies, reveal details and vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure, or lead to theft or sabotage. This could allow the PRC to undermine the competitive advantage of American firms or disrupt key U.S. services, for example.

To mitigate these threats, the FBI and CISA recommend U.S. public and private companies procure only UAS that adhere to CISA’s secure-by-design principles. These call for drones to be built in a way that protects against malicious cyberattacks. The agencies also encouraged firms to consult the Department of Defense’s Blue UAS Cleared List, which lists drones that comply with U.S. federal cybersecurity policies.

Beyond those recommendations, the report suggests using multifactor authentication or isolated networks to limit breaches, or contain them to one part of the organization. Firms should also research their manufacturers and supply chain providers, as well as the laws to which they are subjected. Software should be updated regularly, and data should be encrypted and deleted from the UAS once transferred and stored.

The Outlook

It’s important to note that the FBI and CISA guidance is just that: guidance. The report won’t have any direct effect on U.S. policy regarding Chinese drone manufacturers. But it could hurt the opinions of lawmakers and operators on DJI and other foreign manufacturers.

In the U.S., there is already a sizable faction of lawmakers and citizens who fear spying by Chinese drones, as evidenced by the myriad proposals to ban the aircraft. Companies are also somewhat split. Some share the above concerns. Most, though, continue to use the drones because they are often cheaper than American-made alternatives, which has kept DJI’s market share robust.

Detractors of the proposed bans worry that restricting Chinese drones is hasty and shortsighted.  The argument is that U.S. customers will be forced to buy more expensive, domestically produced UAS, which could price some of them out. Switching to American-made aircraft would require training on new systems. It could also hamper the quality of the tech—DJI drones are considered by many to be the best available.

In short, the U.S. faces a dilemma. If the threats from Chinese-made UAS are real, lawmakers have a duty to protect the American public. But either way, banning the drones will likely create a few unhappy customers. The government will need to decide if the tradeoffs are worth it.

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Wing—the drone delivery arm of Google parent Alphabet so far responsible for more than 350,000 deliveries across three continents—is ready to think bigger.

The company on Wednesday unveiled a new larger drone, which it said will be added to its fleet to “simplify and streamline” bigger orders. Wing will work with partners and regulatory stakeholders to introduce the unnamed model—which boasts double the payload of its predecessor—to service areas worldwide in the next 12 months.

The news follows Wing’s recent Dallas-Fort Worth expansion with Walmart, which the retailer claims to be the largest drone delivery expansion of any U.S. company. Wing began flying in DFW in 2022, partnering with Walmart in August to add service out of two regional Supercenters. Combined, the stores serve 60,000 homes.

The company also picked up new permissions from the FAA in December, allowing it to fly drones beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the operator, without human observers on the ground. Only a handful of drone delivery providers have that approval, which can improve range and reduce costs by cutting down on human capital.

According to internal company data, 70 percent of Wing’s U.S. orders are delivered by a single aircraft. That means the remaining 30 percent, however, require two or more drones. The company’s revamped design is intended to address that issue.

“Think of it like how airlines operate different aircraft for different routes: This new aircraft will streamline our deliveries of larger orders,” said Adam Woodworth, CEO of Wing. “For example, you could order last-minute ingredients for dinner—pasta, marinara sauce, parmesan cheese, canned olives, and garlic.”

Wing’s larger design was borne out of its Aircraft Library approach, wherein engineers develop a variety of aircraft configurations that build on the core components of its flight-proven aircraft. This allows the firm to quickly adapt its design to meet needs identified in the market—such as a bigger drone.

The latest design shares much of its hardware and architecture with the drones comprising Wing’s fleet. These can carry up to 2.5 pounds on 12 sm (10 nm) flights, cruising at 65 mph (56 knots). The new drone maintains that range and speed but doubles the payload to 5 pounds, using the same standardized cardboard delivery box. It also keeps a hybrid aircraft configuration, which combines vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and precision hovering capability with fixed wings for cruise flight.

The updated model is also designed to work with the infrastructure and automation supporting the company’s current fleet, which comprise the Wing Delivery Network. Announced last year, the system aims to streamline deliveries by intelligently calculating routes, allocating drones based on demand, and flying fluidly between Wing hubs. 

It also introduces new technologies to simplify operations on the customer side, such as the Autoloader. In lieu of loading the aircraft themselves, store associates can simply leave packages to be picked up. Essentially, it’s curbside delivery for drones.

Crucially, Wing’s new drone won’t replace other aircraft within its fleet. Part of the Wing Delivery Network philosophy is using multiple aircraft for different mission profiles.

“It’s always been our vision to implement a multimodal drone delivery model, in the same way that ground delivery uses different vehicle sizes for different orders,” said Woodworth. “We’re committed to making that vision a reality so more shoppers can experience the convenience of drone delivery. With the new aircraft carrying more food, medicine, and household essentials, customers in urban and suburban areas will be able to bundle their orders better—and receive them in one quick trip.”

The introduction of a larger aircraft could add to Wing’s momentum. Outside of Zipline, which focuses primarily on medical deliveries (and is also partnered with Walmart), it boasts more deliveries than any other firm. By cutting back on the number of inefficient two-drone deliveries, that figure could rise even faster.

And while the new model has the same range as Wing’s other aircraft, the company’s entire fleet may soon fly farther. Before receiving FAA approval to remove visual observers, the firm was limited to 6 sm (5 nm) trips, which needed to be monitored continuously by human eyes. Now, computers can do the tracking, which should enable longer routes.

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Airbus, a top manufacturer of commercial jets, is looking to expand its uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) portfolio.

The French OEM on Monday announced its intent to acquire Aerovel, manufacturer of the Flexrotor tactical drone, through its subsidiary Airbus Helicopters. The drone—designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR)—is expected to join Airbus’ UAS roster by the end of the year, the manufacturer said, pending regulatory approval.

Flexrotor is a Group 2 small tactical UAS with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capability, built for ISTAR operations for the U.S. and its allies over land or sea, day or night. It will join Airbus’ fleet of high endurance uncrewed aircraft, such as the self-flying VSR700 helicopter or Eurodrone. Aerovel will remain an American-owned company and work with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) under Airbus’ Special Security Agreement.

The planned transaction follows the addition of a dedicated business line for military UAS by Airbus U.S. Space & Defense, which aims to deploy the aircraft for the DOD. The expansion was announced in November.

“This strategic acquisition aligns with our vision to expand our UAS offering and respond to a growing customer demand worldwide for additional mission capabilities such as manned-unmanned teaming,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Aerovel’s expertise in autonomous flight technology will undoubtedly complement our UAS development with the VSR700, as well as the work that we have been doing to develop interoperability.”

According to Aerovel, Flexrotor combines compact size, heavy payload capacity, long range, and autonomy. It’s designed to meet the rigor of DOD specifications, capable of protecting military bases through threat detection and real-time imagery, for example. But it’s also meant to be cost-effective for commercial markets, which could deploy it for security or law enforcement applications.

Flexrotor is powered by a 28 cubic centimeter, two-stroke engine. The high-endurance drone can fly autonomously for more than 30 hours or up to 1,100 nm, reaching a top level speed of 77 knots. At its max launch weight of 55 pounds, it can cruise in fixed-wing mode at 21,000 feet agl. And crucially, its ability to take off and land vertically means it requires only a 12-by-12-foot space for launch and recovery.

The UAS uses a steerable, zoomable imaging turret with cameras to perform searches and collect video for real time or later viewing. In addition, Flexrotor is payload agnostic, allowing users to swap out certain sensors or other components. It can also communicate with receivers nearly 75 miles away and be assembled or stored in minutes, making it a flexible option for customers.

Though it’s designed for ISTAR missions and is backed by the DOD, Flexrotor is malleable enough to take on semi-public missions, such as tracking forest fires or guiding ships through ice in the Arctic Ocean.

“Joining forces with Airbus will allow us to scale innovation, accelerate our mission to advance unmanned aviation, and maintain our unwavering support for the U.S. military and its allies,” said Ali Dian, CEO of Aerovel. “We are proud to become part of an organization with a rich legacy of aerospace excellence and we look forward to leveraging our combined strengths to define the future of autonomous systems.”

Aerovel’s versatile UAS will join Airbus’ existing portfolio of uncrewed products, which is steadily growing.

SIRTAP, the company’s high-end tactical UAS for civil and military use cases, was recently picked by the Spanish Ministry of Defense to bolster the country’s armed forces. It ordered a total of nine systems and two simulators, with a prototype maiden flight planned for 2025.

Airbus also develops Eurodrone, which it bills as the first UAS built to fly in nonsegregated airspace. Eurodrone—a joint project between the governments of Germany, France, Spain, and Italy under the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR)—will carry out defense missions in civil airspace. Dassault Aviation and Leonardo are also involved in development.

Both SIRTAP and Eurodrone will be part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project, which is a multinational collaboration to replace existing combat systems (including Airbus’ Eurofighter) with new technology by 2040. FCAS will be built around next-generation fighter jets, which will communicate with uncrewed remote carriers using a data platform called the Combat Cloud.

Airbus is co-leading the entire program, spearheading vehicle development for the remote carriers and data platform. The company will use its A400M mothership and A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) to deploy up to 50 remote carriers at once, helping them communicate with crewed aircraft using Combat Cloud. It’s also developing Manned-Unmanned Teaming software, which is designed to coordinate crewed and uncrewed platforms.

Beyond its FCAS projects, Airbus produces the VSR700 and Zephyr, a fixed-wing, uncrewed high-altitude platform station (HAPS). Zephyr can fly in the stratosphere for months at a time. In 2022, it surpassed all known endurance records for a UAS of its class during a 64-day, 30,000 nm flight.

In addition, Airbus produces a few small tactical UAS: the Aliaca for coastal surveillance, the DVF 2000ER for heavy endurance, and the CAPA-X for all kinds of military missions. It also builds target drones and simulators for military training and offers DeckFinder, a software that guides drones to safe landings.

Beyond UAS, Airbus is exploring other emerging forms of aviation. On Tuesday, for example, the company announced it successfully powered up ZEROe—a hydrogen propulsion system for its electric concept aircraft—in full for the first time. Earlier in the month, it finalized a joint venture to design, build, and operate the Starlab commercial space station.

At the same time, the manufacturer continues to set the bar for traditional aviation. Last week, it revealed it secured a company record 2,094 aircraft orders in 2023, topping rival Boeing in that metric for the fifth consecutive year.

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