AASHTO Journal - FAA Touts Recent eVTOL Hybrid-Electric Plane Tests

The Federal Aviation Administration recently highlighted testing of hybrid electric vertical take-off and landing or “eVTOL” aircraft by manufacturer Electra and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

[Above photo by the New Jersey DOT]

Those demonstration flights tested routes connecting small local airports to major airline hubs as part of the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. Those routes involved stops at Washington Manassas Airport in Viriginia; Millville Executive Airport in New Jersey; Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ; Northeast Philadelphia Airport in Pennsylvania; and Philadelphia International Airport.

[Editor’s note: In March, the USDOT selected eight proposals to help safely integrate next-generation AAM aircraft into the national airspace, with state departments of transportation involved in more than half of them.]

“With every new test flight, the department is gathering more of the data we need to enable the safe rollout of these next-generation aircraft,” said Sean Duffy, USDOT secretary, in a statement. “I’m thrilled to see the continued success of … the eVTOL pilot program and look forward to seeing more American innovators revolutionize the way people and products move.”

“This demonstration required strategic planning and support from both the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of transportation,” noted Bryan Bedford, FAA administrator. “The information collected from this demonstration will help us build a system that connects Americans in rural communities and larger metropolitan areas, creating more opportunities for jobs and essential services.”

“PennDOT’s mission is to help connect people to where they’re going, no matter how they choose to travel,” emphasized Mike Carroll, PennDOT secretary. “The innovative technology being demonstrated this week has the potential to make air travel more convenient and accessible to our communities.”

Priya Jain, New Jersey DOT commissioner, noted that the eVTOL testing at Bader Field in Atlantic City represents the first-ever AAM demonstration in her state

“This is a glimpse of the future,” she said. “This enables ‘Direct Aviation,’ connecting people more directly to where they want to go, rather than requiring a long drive to a major airport.”