The Federal Aviation Administration has issued the rules for a powered lift category of aircraft that covers pilot qualifications and training and operational requirements for eVTOLs in the USA.
Powered lift is the first new category of aircraft to be created by the FAA since helicopters were introduced in the 1940s. It includes aircraft with the characteristics of both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to be used for passenger, cargo and other operations such as emergency medical services.
Operational requirements include performance-based rules for minimum safe altitudes and required visibility.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said, “This final rule provides the necessary framework to allow powered lift aircraft to safely operate in our airspace. Powered lift aircraft are the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years and this historic rule will pave the way for accommodating wide-scale Advanced Air Mobility operations in the future.”
Previously the FAA had planned to create a commercial certification route for eVTOL aircraft under existing Part 23 rules, it then changed its approach to say they would require certification under Part 21 for special class vehicles.
However, those rules were not well received by industry, including groups such as GAMA, who labeled the regulatory route as too restrictive. This resulted in a year-long process at the FAA that has resulted in the new powered lift category.
The final rule changes existing regulations and establishes a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) to facilitate instructor and pilot certification and training. It applies helicopter operating requirements to some phases of flight and allows pilots to train in powered-lift with a single set of flight controls.
The regulatory measures were welcomed by leading eVTOL aircraft developers in the USA, such as Joby, Archer Aviation and BETA Technologies.
JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby said, “The regulation will ensure the US continues to play a global leadership role in the development and adoption of clean flight. Delivering ahead of schedule is a testament to the dedication, coordination and hard work of the rulemaking team.”
Billy Nolen, chief regulatory affairs officer at Archer said, “This is yet another foundational element toward our goal of the U.S. leading the way in commercializing UAM [Urban Air Mobilty]. We’ll continue to formulate our operational plans to align to this final rule.”
Kristen Costello, regulatory affairs lead at BETA Technologies said, “We applaud the FAA for their timely delivery of a safe path forward for pilot certification and operations of powered lift aircraft. It’s an important and encouraging step for the industry. We look forward to reviewing it in depth and working alongside our customers to operationalize it.”
