Three eVTOL Takeaways from Adam Twidell, Future of Flight Lead at Flexjet

For eVTOLs to flourish in any Given City, a “Perfect Storm” of Conditions Must Exist.

When Twidell flew C-130s and business jets, he ensured three primary sets of factors were in alignment before every flight. The environment, including weather, airspace, and airports, had to be free of hazards or restrictions. The aircraft had to meet standards related to condition, legality, and performance. Finally, he himself could not be limited by illness, medication, fatigue, or certification concerns.

All of these factors had to fall within the required parameters for a flight to continue smoothly and safely. The success of each flight hinged upon the one that fell to the lowest level – and if just one fell short, the flight could be canceled entirely.

Similarly, Twidell observed that, when stakeholders evaluate a given city or region for eVTOL adaptation, a “perfect storm” of conditions must exist for success, and if any one of these falls short, successful adaptation becomes all but impossible:

• Regulation – Developing and aligning the parallel frameworks of pilot, operator, and aircraft certification.
  
• Physical infrastructure – Developing and approving pathways for eVTOL vertiports to be constructed and utilized, including land acquisition, and managing obstacle clearance requirements. Additionally, a battery/charging infrastructure will become necessary, as well as maintenance facilities.
  
• Airspace – Integrating eVTOL operations with existing airspace, control, and routing.

Regulation is perhaps the most complex hurdle to clear. While the aircraft itself must be certified as outlined above, parallel sets of regulations and approval processes must be developed for pilot and operating certification.

With such a variety of eVTOL aircraft designs evolving so quickly, pilot certification is almost a moving target. Some eVTOLs are based on an airplane-like design, with fixed wings augmented by rotors. Others are helicopter-like, utilizing only rotors and sharing no flight characteristics with fixed-wing aircraft.

The FAA’s “powered lift” category of pilot certification – intended for tiltrotor aircraft operation – is perhaps the most appropriate framework currently in place. It’s possible, however, that the FAA and other governing bodies will have to create a new framework tailored specifically to eVTOL operations and individual types. This would specify training and currency requirements, as well as operating rules.

Securing the necessary physical infrastructure for eVTOL operations can also be complex. A new set of processes will become necessary to review and approve proposed eVTOL vertiports, and applicants will need to clear multiple hurdles to obtain approval. In addition to meeting – or obtaining authorization to deviate from – local zoning and ordinances, every new vertiport will have to comply with any noise restrictions in place for its location.

One factor that is perhaps less subjective and potentially even more limiting is obstacle clearance. While planners will want to create a dense network of vertiports to create a robust and useful system of urban mobility, obstacles such as buildings, bridges, and antennas will all present challenges. Additionally, every approved vertiport will create a corresponding zone where the construction of such obstacles will be prohibited in the future.

In countries where the development of eVTOLs and the regulatory framework outpace the approval of vertiports, eVTOL operations will likely be restricted to existing heliports. However, this could be beneficial if the eVTOL types are notably quieter than helicopters. By demonstrating the category’s lower noise footprint in day-to-day operations, operators could present compelling evidence that the category should be exempt from any restrictive noise regulations that are in place elsewhere in the city, opening up opportunities for further development.

A city that wants to integrate eVTOL infrastructure will need to integrate them into existing airspace. Many densely populated city centers have major commercial airports positioned a short distance away, and others operate smaller municipal airports in even closer proximity. Because existing air traffic, such as airliners and business jets, must be separated and protected, airspace must be established and/or redesigned to accommodate the influx of eVTOL operations.

These regulatory, infrastructure, and airspace challenges will present obstacles for some cities and countries and opportunities for others. Regions with long-established policy and infrastructure will likely require significant time to design, approve, and incorporate change, whereas younger regions that can expedite the process through nimble adaptation will be able to take the lead.

The Middle East, in general, and Dubai, in particular, are well-positioned to take the lead, largely due to their less comprehensive government regulations and subsequently fewer barriers to entry. Many Asian countries are, as well. Singapore, for example, has already designed airspace to accommodate eVTOLs. Conversely, US and EU authorities will likely opt to adapt more slowly and gradually, collecting and evaluating significant data to inform change before following suit.