AeroTime
• Ian Molyneaux
Horizon Aircraft CEO Brandon Robinson says the company’s ambition is to shake up the helicopter industry, arguing that eVTOL developers are not its primary competitors. The positioning frames Horizon’s strategy around challenging established helicopter operators and manufacturers as it seeks to outmaneuver its rivals.
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Horizon Aircraft CEO Brandon Robinson says the company’s ambition is to shake up the helicopter industry, arguing that eVTOL developers are not its primary competitors. The positioning frames Horizon’s strategy around challenging established helicopter operators and manufacturers as it seeks to outmaneuver its rivals.
Rhode Island-based Regent Craft has flown its all-electric Viceroy seaglider with people aboard for the first time, advancing a vehicle designed for coastal transportation using wing-in-ground effect. The company says it plans to begin manufacturing commercial seagliders by the end of 2027, under a regulatory pathway distinct from conventional aircraft.
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Texas has begun flights under the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, with Joby Aviation participating in a weeklong demonstration. Separately, Archer Aviation and BETA Technologies plan interoperable charging infrastructure to support air taxi operations, linking vehicle deployments with the ground systems required for scale.
Archer Aviation has begun its “No Roads” flight tour with a piloted round trip between Salinas Municipal Airport and Hollister Municipal Airport in California. The demonstration marks the first stop in a series of flights as Archer continues testing its all-electric Midnight aircraft ahead of planned operations in additional U.S. markets.
Indonesia’s Whitesky Aviation has signed a memorandum of understanding with AutoFlight for 60 V2000EM Prosperity passenger eVTOL aircraft. The agreement expands AutoFlight’s commercial ambitions in Southeast Asia and positions Jakarta-based Whitesky to add electric vertical-lift capability to its rotary-wing operations.
Dutch flying-car developer PAL-V has reached a key regulatory milestone after EASA approved its ability to manufacture aviation products. The authorization moves the company beyond vehicle development toward a certified production capability for its aircraft, an important step in its commercialization plans.
Elroy Air says its hybrid-electric Chaparral drone has completed its first uncrewed logistics demonstration flights under the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The flights mark an operational milestone for the company’s autonomous cargo aircraft and its effort to advance uncrewed delivery missions.
High activity
Regent completed its first crewed electric seaglider flight, carrying two captains 33 feet above Narragansett Bay for 30 seconds and traveling 596 meters. The milestone comes as the FAA advances its eIPP pilot program and Archer begins a multi-state Midnight eVTOL tour ahead of planned air-taxi operations.
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