Credit: Dronelife
The leading drone administration and uncrewed traffic administration supplier High Lander has announced that its airspace coverage will include electric take-off and landing (eVTOL) provider AIR’s aerial vehicles. Through two scalable, drone-independent software solutions, High Lander is working towards the complete integration of common airspace between manned and uncrewed aircraft. Mission Control, a platform for organising and automating drone missions across all applications, is the first of these two solutions. The other, known as Universal UTM, is a platform for autonomous unmanned traffic management that continuously keeps an eye on all aerial activities across any airspace. To assure safety and adherence to aviation laws, Universal UTM autonomously reviews, approves, and modifies flight plans. It also provides AIR’s eVTOLs with flight monitoring and in-flight conflict alerts.
The first eVTOL from AIR to hit the market, the AIR ONE, is intended for individual ownership and regular, short-distance flying. The aircraft made its debut in October 2021, received airworthiness approval in July 2022, and then conducted its first public hover test. The aircraft can carry two people and their luggage, with a maximum load of 250kg, and can fly for an hour on a single charge. When folded, AIR ONE can be stored in the same area as a car and can take off and land on any flat surface. At the Israel National Drone Initiative in May 2023, the aircraft accomplished its first flight with UTM integration.
“We expect AIR ONE to become the flagship of a new age of personal transportation, and therefore we consider safety and compliance to be of the utmost importance,” said AIR CEO and co-founder Rani Plaut. “By taking advantage of the scalable and comprehensive air traffic coverage of High Lander’s tried-and-tested UTM system, we feel confident that AIR ONE will overcome its last regulatory hurdles and begin to show people around the world that piloting a personal aerial vehicle is as safe and reliable as it is easy and exciting.”
Air’s flagship design, which was first unveiled in 2021, has a 550-pound payload, a 100-mile range, and an hour of flying time, making it smaller and less powerful than a normal air taxi. Air One, however, is most likely to operate outside of specific air taxi routes, such as the one Archer and United are contemplating in Chicago, in contrast to Joby or Archer’s aircraft. Indeed, according to Air’s website, the business plans for consumers to store and launch Air One from their homes.
That creates a special situation. Early eVTOL operations would rely on existing air traffic management infrastructure and designated advanced air mobility (AAM) corridors, according to outgoing FAA chief Billy Nolen. The goal of Archer, Joby, and other manufacturers who intend to begin flying to and from the airport is supported by the FAA’s blueprint. However, it excludes businesses like Air, which envisions spontaneous flights that land in backyards and driveways.
High Lander steps in to help with it. To assist pilots in adhering to aviation laws, Air will employ the company’s Universal UTM system to autonomously give flight plan approvals and updates, real-time flight monitoring, and in-flight conflict notifications. Through the Israel National Drone Initiative, the businesses reportedly successfully piloted an Air One that was combined with High Lander’s UTM in May.
“AIR ONE is an impressive feat of engineering and stands to have a dramatic effect on the way people travel. This brings with it regulatory and safety challenges that must be overcome before this new market can take off,” said High Lander CEO and co-founder Alon Abelson. “All of these challenges can be overcome with Universal UTM, and we’re proud to be providing the safety network for this groundbreaking product and a whole new generation of pilots.”
For the $150,000 Air One, Air has taken more than 300 preorder payments. Deliveries are expected to start in late 2024. However, the company must first go through the maze of FAA clearances required to mass-produce the aircraft in the U.S., which is its primary target market.
It is now negotiating with the FAA to get a G-1 certification base; this approval established the airworthiness requirements for type certification for eVTOL manufacturers Joby, Archer, and others.
The procedure is drawn-out and difficult. The completion of prototype hover testing by Air in June 2022, followed in January by its maiden transition-to-cruise flight—the first of thousands of FAA-required flying hours—gave the company a boost. Soon after, the business relocated the majority of its activities to the United States, where it would carry out more flight testing and developme
“In addition to helping improve yacht logistics, this partnership enables yachters to add an extra layer of sky-high adventure to sea excursions and is a significant step in our mission to advance air mobility adoption around the world,” Plaut said of the collaboration.
Nobody knows what Air will do next. To far, the business has promoted Air One to both GA pilots and non-pilots. However, as of right now, no one on Earth has obtained eVTOL certification, and for good reason—the technology is still in its infancy and probably a few years away from enabling safe, regular flights.
That could soon alter as a new bipartisan measure requesting a certification procedure for AAM pilots moves through Congress. However, until it does, Air will need to figure out a means to certify its customers and guarantee that they fly safely in congested airspace. In other words, despite Air One accreditation, there will still be obstacles to overcome.
High Lander was established in 2018 by aviation and technology experts with a dream: a fully integrated sky where crewed and uncrewed aircraft operate in harmony. They are achieving this with two scalable, drone-agnostic software solutions. The first is Mission Control, a platform for managing and automating drone missions for any purpose, including public safety, deliveries, security, agriculture, and more. The second is Universal UTM, a next-generation automated uncrewed traffic management platform that oversees all airborne activity over any airspace, supplying the infrastructure we need to support the new era of consolidated aviation.
About AIR
AIR is revolutionizing everyday mobility for everyday people, empowering individuals to seize the power of personal flight. Combining aerospace innovation with the maturity of automotive technology and uncompromising safety standards, AIR’s first-of-its-kind eVTOL offers the ground-breaking opportunity to easily “drive the sky.” Founded by Chen Rosen and later joined by Netanel Goldberg and Rani Plaut, and based in the green fields of Pardes Hanna, near Tel Aviv, with a presence in Texas, AIR is paving the way for a cleaner, more thrilling future of mobility, affording everyone the freedom to fly.
To reach the Global Drone News editorial team on your feedback, story ideas and pitches, contact us here.
