In 2023, eVTOL companies like LIFT Aircraft had planned to launch by the end of the year, thereby introducing eVTOLs — albeit in a small single-passenger ultralight version — to the U.S. public for the first time. All is going well so far.
Ultralight eVTOLs, like ultralight planes, are regulated under Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) part 103, and can be flown in the U.S. without aircraft type certification or a pilot’s license.
“Beyond military use and first responder applications, we plan to make HEXA available around the country for people to experience eVTOLs for themselves, starting this year,” Kevin Rustagi, LIFT’s chief commercial officer, had told Vertical in 2023. “We also plan to set up permanent flight locations.”
He added that “ultralight eVTOLs are a great place to start eVTOL flight. They will allow the industry to crawl, walk and then run. Being at shows like CES in Las Vegas has also helped with familiarization of the public.”
Launching a pay-per-flight experience
Before rolling out its pay-per-flight experience, LIFT completed a Beta test flight program, which spanned the entire end-to-end experience — from flight booking to check-in to training and the flight itself. Participants took part in feedback sessions and focus groups, and were “instrumental in refining the experience,” explained chief of staff Kristin Giffin.
During summer 2023, actual customer flights began in Austin, Texas. These customers had been waiting quite a while for the experience, having pre-purchased tickets years in advance, when LIFT was publicly unveiled at the SXSW show in 2019.
To gain more exposure, in February 2024, LIFT arranged to “make history with the world’s first-ever live broadcast eVTOL flight,” Giffin said. Rob Marciano, co-host of Good Morning America, trained and flew the HEXA during a broadcast of the show.
That day, LIFT also announced the full launch of the “world’s first eVTOL pay-per-flight experience,” with a 25-city U.S. tour that began in Lakeland, Florida. The kick-off of the tour was hosted by the Lakeland Aero Club at the Lakeland Linder International Airport, also home to the famed Sun ‘N Fun Airshow. LIFT’s chief pilot, Jace “Digit” McCown, flew HEXA to celebrate the event’s 50th anniversary in front of thousands of spectators.
Hundreds of customers have now flown the HEXA in Austin and the temporary tour stop in Lakeland. Flights are ongoing in Austin with new tour cities to be announced soon. There is currently a waiting list of over 15,000.
Outside of the U.S., LIFT is making inroads in Japan. After thorough review by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) in 2023, LIFT was invited to conduct the first-ever piloted eVTOL demonstration in Japan’s history, in the cities of Osaka and Ehime. Japan does not have regulations equivalent to FAA part 103, but JCAB had conducted its own analysis of HEXA’s safety data, test program, and flight envelope.
In August 2023, LIFT entered into a partnership with Marubeni Corporation for HEXA commercialization in Japan. The companies will jointly undertake market research and regulatory engagement, with Marubeni given a pre-order option to purchased up to 100 aircraft subject to approval by the JCAB. The two companies are also seeking permission from JCAB to offer pay-per-flight experiences similar to the U.S. In May, LIFT completed more demo flights in Japan, this time in Tokyo.
Light sport aircraft
As LIFT’s ultralight aircraft continues to gain exposure, firms developing light sport eVTOL aircraft have hit a bit of a snag in the U.S.
Israel-based AIR is developing a two-seat model called the AIR ONE, which the company aims to attain FAA certification under the light sport aircraft category.
“The MOSIAC [Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification] program is behind schedule but on track,” said AIR CEO Rani Plaut. “They got an extension that brings the timeframe for the light sport category certification for passengers on track for the second half of 2025.”
MOSAIC expands the FAA’s light sport aircraft category to include larger and more powerful aircraft weighing as much as 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms), more than doubling the weight of the former light sport category of 1,320 lb (600 kg).
However, while current light sport aircraft are not required to meet noise certification requirements, the FAA published the MOSAIC notice of proposed rulemaking in July 2023 to make new light sport aircraft meet noise standards required of type-certified aircraft under part 36.
Many in the industry consider this an expensive and time-consuming process, where the FAA directs, in great detail, exactly how a developer must conduct testing to earn certification. However, the FAA has stated that it “can no longer justify the exclusion of these aircraft and their noise impact on communities under its statutory responsibility, nor can it let the growth continue by changing the names or the categories.”
Meanwhile, Plaut said the company’s cargo version of the aircraft adheres to the FAA’s experimental certification pathway. The company has been working on the cargo model since 2022, collecting data on safety, and remote flight control, among other areas. The cargo version is 550 lb (250 kg) with an undisclosed range and eight critical moving parts. The cargo space is located where passengers would sit in the passenger version, with front loading of cargo.
“We’ve gained a lot of attention from partners and potential customers because we have been flying a fully-loaded finished cargo model,” Plaut said. “We have a waiting list of 1,200 customers and strong traction from the cargo industry. In late 2023, we sold an aircraft for testing to a cargo customer, and now we have an order and downpayment with that firm. A second customer has paid for a small number of initial aircraft. In all, we finished 2023 with over $1 million in revenues.”
AIR plans to develop a low-volume automotive-style manufacturing system, with production of up to 15,000 aircraft a year. AIR said manufacturing will occur in the U.S., with a letter of intent already signed with a “large” manufacturer, and components being secured under contracts. In February 2024, AIR announced its partnership with Nidec Motor Corporation to develop the motor for the production model of the AIR ONE. Aircraft production will begin in early 2025, the company said.
Regarding development of the manned version, this will proceed under the Agility Prime program. “A location in Florida has been secured for flight testing under that contract,” Plaut said. “It’s a very structured development program, first proving safety, full performance and then edge cases.”