New York startup to allow people without a pilot's license to fly a helicopter over the city after just an hour of training

The Texas-based startup hopes to expand its air tourism business to New York. It will allow customers to fly personal ultralight helicopters over the city's airspace. You don't need a pilot's license for this - less than an hour of training will be enough, according to amny.

Austin-based LIFT Aircraft has partnered with local Heli-tour Charm Aviation. She invited her to deliver personal electric helicopters (eVTOLs) to Manhattan's waterfronts. They provide a less noisy and greener alternative to tourists than a large helicopter. Yes, and tourists will be able to control such an aircraft themselves.

The HEXA aircraft from LIFT looks a bit like a helicopter. But it only seats one passenger and is powered by electric motors and 18 independently controlled propellers above the cockpit. The vehicle, capable of landing both on land and at sea, took off for the first time in 2018 in Hungary. And the company has already received approval for its first vertiport in Austin with the hope of further expansion.

The movement of helicopters in the airspace of the city caused heated debate among residents

They are concerned about the high noise and air pollution from private helicopters transporting wealthy people to the Hamptons. In June, Brooklyn City Councilman Lincoln Wrestler introduced a bill to ban "non-essential" helicopter flights using the city's heliports in the Financial District and Midtown. The bill has 23 co-sponsors out of 51 total board members.

Elevators have just 1/10 the “acoustic signature” of a traditional helicopter, said CEO Matt Chasen. They are powered by propellers and electric batteries, making them quieter and greener than conventional helicopters.

“Helicopters are just crazy loud, which is why people hate them,” Chasen remarked. — We think that it will really be much more convenient for large cities. And it could be part of the solution to how we can give people access to flying.”

Charm has already agreed to pre-order 100 HEXAs in hopes of having them at multiple airports across the city over the next five years starting in 2023. While it's being called a tourism opportunity, Chasen says a network of heliports could eventually be built across the city. After all, people take to the skies for their daily commute, bypassing the congestion on the ground below.

“I think it's a great way to bring this new technology and this new mode of transportation into the world,” Chasen said. “We think there is a way to do this in a less intrusive way before people start flying over cities and landing on rooftops.”

Vehicles develop a maximum speed of 55 knots and can be in flight for no more than 15 minutes

The companies say HEXA will only fly within the allowed corridors. They hope that passengers will be able to see a magnificent view of the Statue of Liberty.

“I can't wait to fly the HEXA around the Statue of Liberty,” said Charm President Caitlin Ephraim. “We think this is the future of the helicopter tour market.”

Chasen says the FAA Class G airspace that HEXA could realistically operate in extends 396 meters above the city's waterways. Almost as high as the Empire State Building. Beginners will most likely fly only at an altitude of about 15 meters. And geo-protection will not allow customers to leave a predetermined zone. The crew will maintain contact with air traffic control on the ground.

The companies cite FAA regulations from the 1980s governing the operation of ultralight aircraft as allowing HEXA to operate in the city. Vehicles can weigh a maximum of 554 kilograms, not including parachutes and floats (which contribute to the HEXA's 952 kilograms weight). And they can move at a maximum speed of 55 knots. If the standards are met, then the pilots do not need a pilot's license.

On the subject: Cold and uncomfortable: Helicopter tour over New York costs $400 but falls short

To learn how to fly in less than an hour, participants who paid a $250 entry fee practice on a virtual reality simulator before they are ready to take to the skies. eVTOL can be controlled with a joystick or activated by the autopilot using the touch screen. When the joystick is released, HEXA will automatically enter autopilot mode. If the vehicle's battery runs low, LIFT will report that it will automatically return to the base to recharge.

“With these types of vehicles, the pilot directs the aircraft where to fly. But the pilot does not directly control the control surfaces,” Chasen noted. “There is a computer between the pilot and the control surfaces that basically stabilizes and controls the aircraft. But the pilot, of course, still tells him where to fly.”

Despite the company's assurances of safety, the technology has not yet been commercially proven due to rigorous product testing.

Not to mention the fact that customers themselves fly it through America's most populous city. Other companies in the industry have seen their prototypes crash. One company, Joby, saw an eVTOL prototype crash in California while flying at 434 kilometers per hour.

In some cases, the electric batteries of the car caught fire. Other failures have occurred as a result of software failures. For example, when the car's computer thought it was on the ground and turned off the power mid-flight.

The probability of catastrophic incidents in New York is increased. After all, there are more people and skyscrapers here than in any other city in America. And they're all packed like sardines. The wrestler, for example, called the LIFT proposal "crazy" and "a catastrophe waiting in the wings."

“The thought that one hour of training could prepare someone to operate a potentially deadly trap in the middle of the most populous region in the country is staggering,” Wrestler admitted. “The FAA needs to step in and stop what happened yesterday.”

“I really think this mode of transportation is worth looking into,” the council member continued. - But any aircraft requires careful preparation for operation. And this night flight should never be an available mode of transport in the New York area.”

LIFT assures that sufficient reserves are built into its vehicles to prevent accidents.

For example, geo-protection and autopilot capabilities. In addition, the machine is equipped with a ballistic parachute. It can also keep flying even if several of its 18 electric motors fail.

“Obviously, accidents happen sooner or later with any type of vehicle,” Chasen said. “Initially, we are going to limit flights over unpolluted areas and waterways. So that flights do not have catastrophic consequences for people on the ground over which they can fly.

LIFT and Charm hope to have their first Big Apple Waterfront heliports open by next year. But that would require FAA approval in urban airspace. Agency spokesman Ian Gregor assured: "The FAA will evaluate any proposal that we receive from the company."

The city's Economic Development Corporation declined to comment on whether the quasi-state agency would allow HEXA flights from its heliports. She referred to “open procurement for the operator”.

“While we are unable to comment on the nature of the proposal due to open procurement for the heliport operator, NYCEDC supports innovation across all sectors. And at the same time ensures the quality of life and safety of New Yorkers, ”summed up EDC representative Regina Graham.