Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

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FlyNow Aviation is working on a full-scale technology demonstrator for its planned eCopter family of eVTOL aircraft. The Austrian start-up, which is currently engaged in a Series B funding round, expects to have an initial cargo version ready for flight testing and early use cases by early 2027, followed by one- and two-seat passenger-carrying models that it aims to get to market by 2029.
With a maximum takeoff weight of 1,254 pounds, the all-electric eCopters are expected to be used for short flights of just over 27 nm with a projected cruise speed of 71 knots. Operating with a pair of counter-rotating rotors, FlyNow believes the aircraft can be certified under existing EASA CS-27 rules for helicopters.
Like many advanced air mobility entrepreneurs, FlyNow CEO Jürgen Greil has found inspiration in the car industry, where he worked for 25 years focused on alternative drivetrains. He told AIN that electric vehicle adoption for road transportation isn’t working and that his eVTOL rivals are now “repeating the same mistakes as the automotive industry.”
In Greil’s view, industrialization costs for eVTOLs could be dramatically reduced. “We want to be the Model T Ford of the sky,” he declared, adding that he aims to achieve pricing of at least half of that currently offered by <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2024-05-31/chinas-shanxi-province-will-fly-tourists-ehangs-evtol">Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang</a>, which earlier this year listed domestic prices as around $312,000 per vehicle.
Eventually, FlyNow aspires to be able to produce as many as 10,000 aircraft per year, starting at a rate of 3,000 units. It is aiming to match prices for Mercedes E Class or BMW 5 Series cars.
According to FlyNow, the eCopters will fly “automatically”—as opposed to autonomously—with the flight control system automatically guiding the aircraft from waypoint to waypoint on predefined flight plans. Greil’s team has had discussions with Austrian air traffic management agency Austro Control, which he said has indicated a willingness to try to accommodate this operating concept within existing regulations.
<h2>Cable Cars without Cables</h2>
“To start, they might only operate on simple routes from A to B, and there would need to be a minimum frequency to make it pay,” Greil said. “It would be like a cable car without cables.”
Most of FlyNow’s engagement with prospective customers has been outside Europe, with discussions held in the Gulf states, India, Singapore, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya. “People in Riyadh spend the equivalent of one month per year in traffic, and the population is expected to grow from around 8 or 9 million to 12 million by 2030,” Greil said.
The company said it has a memorandum of understanding with a company in Australia. Operators could include airlines, business aviation service providers, and emergency medical support groups.
In July 2023, FlyNow started flight testing a full-scale proof-of-concept versions of the eCopter concept at Salzburg Airport, and in the summer of 2024 introduced an upgraded version of these. Another model is used for promotional purposes at exhibitions. The company wants to start “sandbox” trial applications with the full-scale technology demonstrator over a couple of routes.
The vehicle architecture, along with 14-foot rotors, avionics, and software, has been developed in-house. FlyNow is now sourcing elements such as motors, rotor blades, 40 kilowatt/hour batteries, and cabin components from partners, many of which are in the automotive sector.
To date, financial support has mainly come from family offices and venture capitalists. One of FlyNow’s possible strategic partners also has a stake in a private jet operator. The manufacturing location for the eCopters could be determined by factors such as the source for major strategic investments and/or where a key launch customer is based.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

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