The Air Current

If you’re curious about The Air Current but haven’t quite brought yourself to climb over our paywall, you won’t get a better deal than our Black Friday special! Just $10 for two months, including full access to our archives: https://lnkd.in/eAyV478t   To get you started, here are 10 of my eVTOL stories from 2024 that are still very relevant:   1️⃣ Breaking down the FAA’s new eVTOL operating rules: https://lnkd.in/eA_sc4R5   2️⃣ Momentum builds against standalone eVTOL vertiport standards: https://lnkd.in/e8Hq3Pnd   3️⃣ FAA’s approach to eVTOL certification leaves regulatory ‘gaps’ for multicopters: https://lnkd.in/e54N5yFr   4️⃣ Aerial tourism gains momentum as early eVTOL use case: https://lnkd.in/epydsKSD   5️⃣ How Beta Technologies solved its eVTOL transition problems: https://lnkd.in/eMaS3Mbh   6️⃣ Supernal’s vertiport lobbying push runs up against industry resistance: https://lnkd.in/eT2exrj9   7️⃣ Getting real with Archer Aviation on eVTOL certification: https://lnkd.in/e48rBCuy   8️⃣ TAC Explains: What is conformity in aircraft certification? https://lnkd.in/eusJivzN   9️⃣ Joby accident returns attention to regulatory divide on eVTOL certification: https://lnkd.in/e9azgFme   🔟 New players and priorities shape Downtown Manhattan Heliport competition: https://lnkd.in/e6VuEDf8   The Air Current is 100% subscriber-supported; we have no advertisers and don’t publish sponsored content (and neither do we execute stock trades based on our reporting). Our subscribers are some of the smartest, best-connected, most knowledgeable people in the aviation industry — hope you consider joining the club!

For those of you who are spending time on Linkedin today (outside the U.S.), do you want to read this industry-leading reporting and explore The Air Current's expansive archive into 2025? Our amazing Black Friday deal is on now: $10 for your first two months. https://lnkd.in/gRQG9FZs #staycurrent #blackfriday

Now that Vertical Aerospace has reached an agreement with its primary creditor, Mudrick Capital Management, I caught up with CEO Stuart Simpson to discuss the #eVTOL developer's plans moving forward — and why he thinks Vertical is in a fundamentally stronger position than some struggling competitors. Full story in The Air Current.

Last week, the transportation world learned that former Congressman Sean Duffy had been nominated to be the next leader of the Department of Transportation in a somewhat surprising piece of news that cast aside other names that had been rumored as picks for the job. With that in mind, my latest report for The Air Current simply asks what Duffy's past may say about his future -- and how his career so far may indicate how he will approach the sprawling department and more specifically the complexities of the aviation industry. Read on here: https://lnkd.in/eq4iuzcr

One year and one week after Joby and Volocopter demonstrated their eVTOLs at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, the city of New York has selected a new operator for the facility — a joint venture between Skyports Infrastructure and Groupe ADP that is all in on an electric future. Details in my latest dispatch for The Air Current.

Deep reporting from The Air Current on Embraer's next new airplane. I sat down with CEO Francisco Gomes Neto recently for a wide ranging interview. The Brazilian plane maker is deep into its 'harvest' and ramping up production of its existing aircraft, but it's looking over the horizon at a wide ranging partnership in the Kingdom and even the prospect of Saudi funds unlocking its next big project. This is a big one to watch. #staycurrent

When Vertical Aerospace rolled out its "Flightpath 2030" on Tuesday, it failed to answer the question on everyone's minds: "What about funding?" Well, here's the latest in the eVTOL developer's ongoing discussions with Mudrick Capital Management, who really, really wants to give it money.

I spent two-and-a-half years writing about the knock-down, drag-out legal fight between Wisk and Archer before the parties apparently settled their differences last year. Well, guess what: that litigation had a bonus round. My latest story for The Air Current explains the details of their most recent dispute, thanks to a judge who decided that if Wisk and Archer were going to tie up so many of the court’s resources, the public had a right to know what was going on.

There has been a lot of attention on the FAA’s position regarding dual flight controls for eVTOL pilot training, but no one seems to have asked EASA what they think. I did — and their response may come as a surprise to many people in the industry! It’s one of the many interesting tidbits to have emerged from my study of the 880-page powered-lift SFAR. For The Air Current, I summarized some of the key provisions of the rule and their significance in a broader industry context.

Six weeks ago, I started gathering threads on both candidates for U.S. President in an effort to truly understand how either may impact the aviation industry should they win. With the election now a week away, my latest for The Air Current is a culmination of that work: two pieces (one for each candidate) that go in depth in an attempt to understand some of the policy issues at play, focusing on areas where the candidates have signaled meaningful positions on relevant topics. You can read them now at the links in the comments!