Advanced air mobility (AAM) revolutionaries took center stage at the Heli-Expo show this week, sharing their lofty plans for deploying eVTOL vehicles to revolutionize the way people and things get moved around. Assuming the pioneers can meet their ambitious targets for achieving type certification, the first commercial services could take to the air in 2025, and they are already painting an increasingly vivid picture of what the new wave of air transportation will look like.
Part of the picture includes the Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, which on Wednesday announced a partnership with Airbus to devise ways to deploy the manufacturer’s in-development CityAirbus NextGen aircraft for emergency medical flights. “The Foundation has always been at the forefront of medical innovation, most recently with dedicated research to integrate a CT scanner into a five-bladed H145 helicopter,” said Balkiz Sarihan, head of urban air mobility at Airbus. “We’re looking forward to working with it as a strategic partner to further develop the exact missions where our eVTOL’s capabilities would contribute to protecting citizens and making sure they can access effective healthcare in Norway.”
Loft Dynamics gave AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber a chance to fly its full-motion virtual reality (VR) simulator at Heli-Expo to demonstrate how accurately it replicates flying the Airbus A350B3e/H125 helicopter. During the demo, Thurber got to experience full immersion in the VR environment. Here, he describes the experience.
Loft Dynamics' simulator holds EASA flight simulation training device (FSTD) FTD Level 3 authorization (equivalent to FAA Level 7 FTD). It became the first company to receive EASA FNPT II authorization for its motion-base Robinson R22 VR simulator in 2021.
Leonardo’s order book for the AW09 turbine single pushed past 50 on Tuesday with the announcement of new deposit-backed reservations for the helicopter from customers including Brazil’s Aero Service Representação, Helitech Asia, Safomar in South Africa, Diskopsa in Panama and Guatemala, Heliflite in Oceania, and Aero Facility in Japan. The company declined to specify the number of aircraft ordered by each customer.
The order news comes less than two months after Leonardo announced an engine change for the helicopter to the Safran Arriel 2K. Emilio Dalmasso, Leonardo senior vice-president of new products business development, said the company expected the AW09’s order book to top 100 by year-end and could hit 200 before anticipated certification in mid-2024. A company spokesman stressed that the 200 number was not a minimum threshold for serial production, merely a forecast based on demand trends.
The helicopter sector lags behind other industry segments that have recognized a severe workforce shortage, agreed panelists participating in an “Embracing Equity” discussion on Wednesday during Heli-Expo.
The panel, held in celebration of International Women’s Day, was moderated by Jen Boyer, a principal of Flying Penguin Communications and a helicopter pilot, and included six other women who hold a range of positions within the industry.
HAI has issued its Roadmap of Advanced Air Mobility Operations in cooperation with Crown Consulting and the HAI Advanced Air Mobility Advisory Council (AAM-IAC). The Roadmap identifies near-term, mid-term, and far-term scenarios for AAM and specific goals to gain public acceptance and regulatory approval.
Specifically, the document serves as an aid to coordinate and communicate the priorities of HAI AAM-IAC members; inform regulators of identified challenges and solutions; assist the development of harmonious global standards; and raise awareness among the general public of the possibilities enabled by AAM.
The digital flip-through issues of AIN’s award-winning HAI Convention News are now available online. It’s a great way to quickly scan the news from HAI Heli-Expo 2023, whether you’re in Atlanta attending the show or watching from afar.
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