FutureFlight

Universal Hydrogen has successfully flown its hydrogen-powered De Havilland Dash 8-300 turboprop testbed for the first time. Retrofitted with a hydrogen fuel cell in one of its nacelles, the Dash 8 took off from Grant County International Airport in Moses Lake, Washington, on March 2.

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During recent flight testing at Augsburg in Germany, AutoFlight said its Generation 4 eVTOL prototype covered 250.3 kilometers (156.4 miles), which is just over three kilometers longer than the distance spanned by Joby Aviation’s prototype during a test flight in July 2021.

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Doroni Aerospace has raised $2.5 million to support its goal of certifying the H1 flying car under the FAA's light sport aircraft rules by the end of 2024. In late February, the Florida-based company achieved its first tethered hover flight with a technology demonstrator, and it is now adjusting the design for a prototype it aims to build by August 2023.

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SkyAngels Air Ambulance, an emergency medical flight provider based in the UK, has partnered with the Dutch “flying car” manufacturer PAL-V International to explore uses for the PAL-V Liberty fly-and-drive vehicle in emergency response operations. The charity service says it plans to use the vehicle to quickly and efficiently transport doctors and paramedics in emergency situations.

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The Airo Group is to merge with Kernel Group Holdings and then complete an initial public offering that it says could value the company at around $847 million. The company says it can deliver growth through business units including eVTOL aircraft developer Jaunt Air Mobility and drone operations activities.

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Beta Technologies, a Vermont-based eVTOL developer, has opened a research and development facility at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport in the Dorval suburb of the Canadian city. The facility will focus on structural engineering and materials processing, supporting the ongoing development and certification of Beta’s all-electric Alia-250 eVTOL aircraft.

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Global helicopter services operator PHI Aviation has entered into a long-term agreement with Kaman Corporation to use Kaman’s Kargo UAV for commercial operations, the companies announced Tuesday at Heli-Expo in Atlanta. As part of the new partnership, PHI has agreed to purchase 50 Kargo UAVs for its commercial operations.

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On the Radar
a Streamlined Customer Experience Will Be Critical for the Success of Advanced Air Mobility

Advanced air mobility (AAM) has the potential to revolutionize how people get around, with eVTOL air taxis promising to fly passengers over traffic jams in urban settings and other next-generation aircraft enabling regional flights in areas that are underserved by aviation today. With new electric, hydrogen-powered, and hybrid-electric propulsion systems, AAM aircraft can drastically reduce the environmental impact of aviation while simultaneously reducing operating costs, making flights more affordable. Better yet, AAM can also cut travel times for urban and regional trips by more than half. 

While the value propositions for AAM may be clear, the industry's success will ultimately hinge on people’s willingness to choose these new transportation modes over existing ground-based options, like cars, buses, and trains. To make AAM more appealing, operators must ensure a seamless and hassle-free end-to-end customer experience, according to the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. In a new blog post, McKinsey analysts spell out all the ways in which the customer experience could “make or break” the AAM industry. 

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 FF VideoPlayer_converted-Mar-08-2023-04-52-38-1433-PM 

Advanced air mobility has been a hot topic at Helicopter Association International's Heli-Expo show in Atlanta this week. The annual trade show brings together helicopter operators and manufacturers from around the world to showcase the latest products and technologies in the vertical flight industry. AIN Media Group's video crew was in town to film helicopters arriving at the Georgia World Congress Center to be put on display on the show floor. The aircraft landed in an adjacent parking lot before being towed indoors.

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Featured Program

Following several years of work with its Vahana and CityAirbus technology demonstrators, Airbus in September 2021 confirmed it will bring the CityAirbus NextGen aircraft to market in 2025.

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Featured Person
Sylvie St-Georges
 

Sylvie St-Georges is the co-founder and co-CEO of The AirCraft Company, a start-up based in Wichita, Kansas, that in February 2023 revealed its plans to produce a hybrid-electric, 30-seat regional airliner that will be wheelchair accessible. She also works as a program integration manager at Bombardier Aviation and previously served on Bombardier's flight test team for the development and certification of the Global 6000, Challenger 350, Learjet 70/75, CSeries, and Global 7500. St-Georges is also the general manager of Asselin, an aviation company that services Part 23 small airplanes and Part 25 transport category airplanes.

UPCOMING EVENTS
 
April 17 - 18, 2023 / Farnborough, UK

The 2023 Sustainable Skies World Summit will be the second time the annual event has been staged by the organizers of the Farnborough International air show in the UK. The conference and exhibition will showcase and support the aviation industry's commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions. The two-day event is supported by the Sustainable Aviation Coalition. 

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