The arrival of the “flying car” or more precisely electric air taxis took another step forward with Joby Aviation’s first flight test in California March 11 to become Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) compliant.
Joby’s begun flight testing its experimental aircraft for Type Inspection Authorization (TIA), which is the first step in the process of getting approval from the federal government to use the aircraft for commercial purposes, in this case, as a flying taxi.
“Seeing this aircraft fly means everything to our team. It’s the validation of years of hard work and marks our entry into the final phase of bringing this aircraft to market,” said Didier Papadopoulos, president of Aircraft OEM at Joby.
“After focusing on ‘for credit’ testing at both the equipment and system levels, we’re now moving into the final phase of aircraft-level evaluations. This is evidence that our rigorous design and certification process is paying off, and we look forward to welcoming FAA pilots to Marina in due course.”
The flight comes just after the Trump administration gave its approval aircraft with designs like Joby’s N547 JX to begin testing as part of the White House’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP). The program allows Joby — and others — to fly in Arizona, Florida, Idaho, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Utah.
Short for electric vertical takeoff and landing, eVTOL aircraft are considered by many to be the next step in the evolution of commuter travel. The aircraft receiving clearance to move forward by the Trump administration look like recreational drones, but large enough to carry people.
Hyundai, General Motors, Honda and Toyota, which has invested more than $890 million in Joby in recent years, are all looking at eVTOLs as part of their long-term product portfolio. Others have taken a different approach and produced vehicles that look like cars with wings. Joby’s not offered a tentative date for when its vehicle will be available or what the cost will be.
[Images: Joby]
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