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• Hanneke Weitering
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.
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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.
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Regent flew its crewed Viceroy electric seaglider 596 meters across Narragansett Bay, while Archer launched a U.S. “No Roads” Midnight eVTOL tour ahead of planned air-taxi trials. Separately, Zoox began fully driverless robotaxi service at Las Vegas airport after months of testing and regulatory coordination.
Pivotal has named Mike Ross interim chief executive after Ken Karklin left the light eVTOL company, ending a four-year tenure. The leadership change comes as Pivotal continues developing its electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, with the appointment signaling a transition in the company’s executive direction.
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REGENT Craft’s full-scale, all-electric Viceroy prototype has completed its first human-crewed flight, operating in wing-in-ground effect roughly 33 feet above the water for 30 seconds in a Rhode Island bay. The milestone advances development of the company’s coastal passenger vehicle ahead of planned late-2027 deliveries.
Horizon Aircraft has begun icing tests for its Cavorite X7 eVTOL, with certification approval for operation in icing conditions potentially enabling year-round service to northern communities. The testing represents a step toward expanding the aircraft’s operational envelope beyond seasonal or favorable-weather missions.
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Airports across the United States are preparing for the arrival of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, raising questions about whether existing airport infrastructure and power systems can support the next phase of advanced air mobility.
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Electric aircraft from Beta Technologies, autonomous cargo drones from Elroy Air and other aircraft are set to participate in trials in Louisiana. The initiative will provide an operational testing environment for electric aviation and autonomous cargo systems, bringing multiple emerging aircraft technologies into the same program.
Helsinki, Electra and Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences have signed an MOU to assess hybrid-electric “direct aviation” connections across the Gulf of Finland. The proposed Helsinki-Tallinn link could reduce door-to-door travel time to under an hour while offering a quieter, more efficient regional alternative.
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