The COVID-19 pandemic was a huge, unprecedented body blow to the aviation industry, but the future is looking remarkedly brighter than where it once was, despite Boeing精东影业 current problems over safety. 

Only last month India精东影业 biggest budget airline, IndiGo, announced an order for up to 100 Airbus A350s, representing the carrier精东影业 first leap into the long-haul market and a sure sign that the industry is expanding.聽聽

And the United Kingdom精东影业 largest airport, London-Heathrow (LHR) announced that the first financial quarter in 2024 was its busiest start to the year on record and the outlook for the entire year is very much the same.聽聽

What’s more, the aviation sector is on the cusp of new, innovative, and revolutionary concepts that have the potential to reshape the entire way populations travel. 

Among the most significant are hydrogen powered aircraft, electric regional planes, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and supersonic commercial flights.  

However, by far it is the subject and discussion around eVTOL aircraft that is causing the biggest stir with increasing numbers of newspaper column inches dedicated to the advancement of the humble 鈥楩lying Taxi鈥�.聽

Why is everyone talking about eVTOLs?聽

The evolution of eVTOL aircraft taps into the part of the brain that has long dreamt of a futuristic world where everyone is flying around in pods parked on their driveway.  

It精东影业 a concept that consumers have been fed for decades in Hollywood movies and science fiction novels, so it is perhaps no surprise that the anticipation surrounding the introduction of eVTOLs is building.  

The eVTOL developers are playing their part too with an incredibly efficient publicity machine that ensures every twist and turn of the aircraft精东影业 development is shared with the world.  

And the sums of money involved in developing the aircraft and building the infrastructure to support the eVTOL network are staggering.  

Only on April 25, 2024, one of the leading eVTOL innovators Archer Aviation announced that it had signed a multi-hundred-million-dollar agreement with Abu Dhabi. 

Designed to accelerate Archer精东影业 planned commercial air taxi operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the framework agreement includes in-country manufacturing, operations, and training across the region with operations set to commence in 2025.聽

Are eVTOLs for me?

What is alarming about the rapid development of eVTOLs is there are still so many hoops to jump through before they can begin carrying passengers.聽聽

Public acceptance is an issue that will become more prevalent as awareness increases and counteracting the idea that eVTOLs are only for the very wealthy will be a tricky obstacle to overcome. 

However, there are also positive signs, such as the Chinese developer EHang becoming the first company in the world to obtain type certification for its flying taxi. 

But as aviation history has taught us, when all the problems are overcome that will still not be enough to ensure the survival of the eVTOL industry.  

Here are just some examples of incredible ideas and concepts that were brought to life but never fully realized their potential.聽

Airbus A380聽

In February 2019, following the news that Emirates was reducing its order for the Airbus A380 the planemaker announced production of its superjumbo would end in 2021.聽聽

It was an astonishing turn of events for an aircraft that promised so much but, in the end, failed to deliver. 

When the project to build the A380 was announced there were critics that said that an aircraft of its size was not viable, but few would have predicted the end would come so soon after its launch.  

The Airbus A380 is undoubtably a magnificent aircraft and it is great to see so many airlines increasing its use. But it acts as a perfect example for the eVTOL industry that a vision does not always translate into reality and sometimes critics are proved right.聽

颁辞苍肠辞谤诲别听

It is difficult to comprehend the levels of excitement that surrounded the launch of Concorde or how ahead of its time the aircraft was when it carried its first paying customers in 1969.聽聽

Concorde will always remain synonymous with British Airways and France but during development more than 100 non-binding orders were made for the supersonic jet from major airlines such as Lufthansa, Japan Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air India, and Air Canada.  

Much like the eVTOL industry today many airlines saw Concorde and supersonic flight as the future.  

However, 27 years after commercial operations both British Airways and Air France announced that they would retire their fleets.  

A fatal crash on July 25, 2000, shortly after an Air France Concorde took off from Paris, a drop in air travel following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States (US), the aircraft精东影业 high fuel consumption leading to lack of profits and restrictions to only use supersonic speeds over the ocean all contributed to its downfall.  

For all its promise of being the future of flight, Concorde was unable to live up to the hype and its journey from development to becoming operational certainly chimes with the ambitions of eVTOL technology.  

But in many ways, maybe Concorde was just ahead of its time. And with the development of a new era of supersonic passenger aircraft, super speed travel will have its day again.聽聽

Space shuttle聽

Not strictly aviation, but the space shuttle is another concept that promised a great deal but perhaps did not achieve everything that was planned for it.聽聽

n February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it reentered the earth精东影业 atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board.聽

The event was the second space shuttle disaster since its inception following the loss of the Challenger crew in 1986.  

While the 2003 tragedy was certainly the immediate cause for ending the space shuttle project the cracks were already appearing, placing its future in jeopardy.  

When the last space shuttles were retired, they were not even halfway through their flight lifetimes, but the costs involved in operating the spacecraft had spiraled.  

While the spacecraft精东影业 many achievements included helping to build the International Space Station (ISS) and transporting the Hubble Space Telescope, the project was sold to the public as a low-cost way of accessing orbit and that turned out being wide off the mark. 

“The bottom-line answer is that it was too expensive. Way too expensive,” former Jet Propulsion Laboratory system engineer Mark Adler wrote for Newsweek in 2015. “The shuttle never met its promise for low-cost access to space by virtue of the system’s reusability.”聽

The advent of Space X has helped address many issues around expense but with each space shuttle project costing more than $1.5 billion it’s easy to see why it failed to reach its economical ambitions and alternatives needed to be found.聽聽聽

The jetpack

The jetpack was first thought to have been conceived more than 100 years ago by Russian Alexander Andreev, but it was not until Bell Aerosystems began developing the 鈥楤ell Rocket Belt鈥� in the 1950s that the technology was seen as a viable mode of flight.聽聽

Much of the early thinking was that jetpacks could be used by the US Army, whereas modern versions of the transportation system are also being marketed towards emergency responders, including police and mountain rescuers.  

While ultimately the jetpack industry has not failed, it has been an incredibly long journey that精东影业 never truly gotten off the ground due to cost, danger and the training requirements. 

However, there is hope with a handful of companies such as Jetpack Aviation, Frank Zapata精东影业 Flyboard Air, Gravity Industries and Maverick Aviation developing the concept.  

Maverick Aviation精东影业 jetpack is of particular interest as its patent pending flight control system provides automated stability, making it easier for a non-pilot to operate without extensive training.  

It is quite conceivable that with this type of development the jetpack will finally have its moment in the sun after over a century of development and, if it does, it will certainly have been worth the wait.聽聽

What do you think? Are eVTOL aircraft another brilliant aviation idea destined to fail? Feel free to share your comments below!

eVTOL aircraft: the revolutionary industry that may all end in tears

• Aircraft
• Sustainability

byIan Molyneaux

2023-08-12

However, these flying machines, sought after by some for recreation and extreme sports, may also be suitable for search and rescue operations. In fact, a number of mountain rescue crews have already begun implementing jetpack technologies. 

Categories of jetpacks 

In order to consider whether a jetpack could be used to rescue people, it is important to look at the machine精东影业 design features. 

Depending on the nature of the power required, jetpacks can be divided into three categories: hydrogen peroxide-powered rocket packs, hydrojet packs, and turbojet packs.  

When it comes to hydrogen peroxide-powered rocket packs, the technology used is considered to be one of the oldest. These rocket packs are powered by hot gas which results from a chemical reaction when nearly pure hydrogen peroxide meets a catalyst, usually silver. Due to the exothermic reaction, a mixture of steam and hot gas is released, which is then directed into the rocket pack精东影业 nozzles to create a thrust that lifts the device off the ground. 

Meanwhile, hydrojet packs are designed slightly differently. The technology used to power hydrojet packs is similar to that used on a jet ski. It features a jet propulsion engine, which has an impeller that uses rotating fan blades to suck water into the engine and then forcefully eject it. Water is used as a high-density propulsion fluid which is supplied via a long flexible hose to feed the water to the jet nozzle pack attached to the pilot精东影业 body. A hydrojet pilot can control water flow rate using a remote actuator or a throttle. 

Unlike hydrojet packs, turbojet packs are equipped with wings and an engine fueled with standard kerosene-based jet fuel. However, this design is regarded as the most complex and so it is not as popular as other technologies used to power a jetpack. 

Where are our jetpacks?

• Sports Aviation

byValius Venckunas

2022-06-20

Helicopters vs jetpacks for mountain rescue 

Could jetpacks replace helicopters and other aircraft traditionally used to perform all-weather search and rescue operations?  

Typically, mountain rescue involves local mountaineers and hill walkers as well as professionally trained rescue professionals and aircrew who provide search and rescue helicopter (SAR) responses to emergency situations. The most common air vehicle used for mountain rescue activities is the SAR helicopter, which is usually equipped with crampons installed onto so-called ‘ice skates’ which help the craft to remain stable upon takeoff or landing in extreme weather conditions such as snow and ice.  

Another benefit of helicopter usage for mountain rescue is that the aircraft are usually equipped with medical equipment, including defibrillators, intravenous infusion sets, and comprehensive resuscitation kits as well as portable suction units and medical kits for critical patients. These helicopters can also feature additional medical equipment including chest drainage equipment, intubation equipment, amputation sets, and patient immobilizing kits. 

So, what精东影业 the argument for using jetpacks? 

Because of a jetpack精东影业 ability to reach average speeds of more than 130 kilometers per hour (or around 80 miles per hour), rescuers could use single-pilot flying machines when an immediate response is essential. Unlike helicopters, jetpacks feature a high level of maneuverability that allows rescue crews to get to people who need medical help in hard-to-reach areas.  

For instance, paramedics of the UK-based Great North Air Ambulance (GNAA) have been testing the British inventor精东影业 Richard Browning jet suit called the Daedalus Flight Pack. The jetpack can produce up to 144 kilograms (317 lbs) of thrust at full throttle from a pack of high-discharge LiPo batteries, so it can ascend quickly and save time in case of emergency. 

The jet suit features five small engines: two engines on each arm of a pilot as well as one which is attached to the pilot精东影业 back. This technology allows the paramedic to control the jetpack by moving their hands and allows them to conduct short flights at low altitudes. 

Paramedics from the GNAA have that it could take up to 90 seconds for a jetpack pilot to reach a patient in an area where it would take up to 30 minutes to land with a helicopter. And even though a flying paramedic couldn鈥檛 carry the same amount of medical equipment as a helicopter, a jetpack pilot is able to bring between 10 and 15 kilograms (22 to 33 lbs) of first aid supplies, including a medical kit with pharmaceuticals, a defibrillator and other patient-monitoring devices. 

A guide to understanding medical repatriation on commercial flights

• Essential Aviation

byVyte Klisauskaite

2022-08-11

The lack of legal regulations 

But if it is possible for a jetpack pilot to carry medical equipment, why are these flying machines not yet widely used for mountain rescue operations? 

Even though UK paramedics were among the first to initiate trials of jetpacks, there are currently no legal regulations covering such operations in Europe or the United States, making it essentially illegal to fly jetpacks for rescue operations. 

Another major issue to solve before jetpacks could be widely deployed for search and rescue is the high cost of operating and maintaining the technology. For example, the price for the Daedalus Flight Pack stands at around $440,000 per unit. The jetpack also burns approximately three liters (or a gallon) of jet fuel per minute, which makes it expensive to operate. 

It is also important to consider the safety aspect. A jetpack does not feature proper safety equipment to protect the pilot in case of an incident or technical malfunction. Since such a device falls into an experimental category of aircraft, a person willing to fly a jetpack has to complete flight training to hold a Light Sports Aircraft (LSA) pilot certificate. This suggests that in the future paramedics may be also required to complete specific training before flying to rescue missions. 

10 real-world examples of why aviation is essential

• Essential Aviation

byGabriele Petrauskaite

2022-07-29

For more than a century now the jetpack has been a staple of science fiction.

鈥淭he FAA has worked closely with the FBI to investigate reported jetpack sightings in the Los Angeles area. So far, none of these sightings have been verified,鈥� FAA and FBI in joint statements to NBC Los Angeles. 

“One working theory is that pilots might have seen balloons,” the statements said.

A video, filmed by a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter in November 2020, and obtained by NBC LA in November 2021, might have been instrumental in developing this theory. 

The video shows a human-sized balloon, modelled on Jack Skellington, a character from 1993 Tim Burton film 鈥楢 Nightmare Before Christmas鈥�.

According to the FBI statement, it is possible that all five sightings (four of which were reported between August and December 2020, with the fifth reported in July 2021) could well have been different human-shaped balloons that drifted into the flightpath of the aircraft approaching LAX.

Throughout a year-long investigation, the FBI and FAA have not been able to find additional witnesses or video evidence of the Jetpack Man, besides the reports from pilots. 

One report from July 28, 2021, which was made by a pilot of a Kalitta Air Cargo Boeing 747 on approach to LAX, described the Jetpack Man as wearing a 鈥渞ed outfit鈥�.

A short video, captured from an aircraft in December 2020, revealed the Jetpack Man as having a distinctly different shape to Jack Skellington, lending credence to the theory that different balloons, or even objects, could have been responsible for the sightings.