In recent weeks, Vertical Aerospace has started untethered, remotely piloted flight testing with the first full-scale prototype of its VX4 eVTOL aircraft at Cotswold Airport in the UK. Early flights have all been in hover mode and the company intends to expand the flight envelope over the coming months, with a second prototype expected to join the flight test program by the end of 2023.

Austrian aircraft maintenance firm Primus Aero has decided to purchase a fleet of PAL-V’s Liberty “flying cars”. A PAL-V spokesperson told FutureFlight that Primus has initially reserved five Liberty vehicles, and the company has already placed down payments for those deliveries. Primus will primarily use the two-seat, drive-and-fly vehicles to quickly transport maintenance technicians and spare parts to clients at various airports, thereby reducing aircraft downtime. 

Through a mix of public and private placement of stock, Nasdaq-listed Lilium has raised $292 million in new funding, including a just-concluded $192 million capital raise and an earlier $100 million commitment in May. Its backers include existing shareholder Tencent (through its Aceville affiliate), plus other venture capital groups and Lilium board members and senior executives.

EHang has raised an additional $23 million in working capital with a private share subscription by South Korean music producer and entertainment entrepreneur Lee Soo Man. The Chinese company says it is getting closer to completing domestic type certification for its EH216 two-seat autonomous eVTOL aircraft.

Artificial intelligence isn’t only changing the way airplanes fly. It’s transforming nearly every aspect of aviation on the ground, too. As AI and machine-learning technology have matured in recent years, the aviation industry has explored ways to capitalize on these advances by making ground operations more efficient and often safer. Aircraft developers can also leverage generative AI—models like ChatGPT that use machine learning and deep neural networks—to drastically speed up design and testing processes for new aircraft.

South Korean regional airline Hi-Air is the latest prospective operator for Plana's CP-01 hybrid-electric aircraft. The manufacturer is also joining forces with Gloria Aviation, a Seoul-based company that trains aviation professionals, to cultivate the workforce for the rapidly growing advanced air mobility industry. Via a memorandum of understanding signed on July 11, Plana and Gloria Aviation committed to forming a joint business dedicated to training the maintenance technicians and pilots that will fly new aircraft such as eVTOL air taxis.

Doroni Aerospace has achieved the first piloted flight test of its H1 personal eVTOL aircraft, following more than 50 uncrewed flight tests at the company's headquarters in Pompano Beach, Florida. On July 3, Doroni founder and CEO Doron Merdinger piloted the prototype during a brief indoor flight test. According to Doroni, this was the first piloted flight test of any two-seat personal eVTOL aircraft in the U.S., marking a significant milestone for what the company calls the “flying car” industry and market. 

Textron presses ahead with work on its Nexus eVTOL aircraft; drone operator Dronamics goes official with IATA and ICAO codes; Surf Air Mobility prepares to go public with a New York Stock Exchange flotation; Advanced Air Mobility Institute will call Texas home; British green energy guru teases plans for net zero carbon airline; and business aviation industry group calls for accelerated electrification at airports.

Solar Stratos is on what founder and pilot Raphaël Domjan calls an adventure to discover whether an aircraft powered entirely by the sun's rays can fly to the edge of space. The Switzerland-based team is progressively increasing the altitudes it reaches in flight tests until it can get to the stratosphere, well above where conventional aircraft operate. FutureFlight caught up with Raphaël at the recent Paris Air Show to discuss his vision for net zero carbon aviation.