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Advanced Air Mobility continues to be one of the most dynamic sectors in aviation.

To say that the development of electric aircraft that can take off and land vertically (eVTOLs) has exploded over the past years wouldn't be an exaggeration. Thanks to the Vertical Flight Society (VFS) we have the numbers to back that up. And they're truly remarkable.

The Past, Present & Future of Air Mobility

The Unmanned Aerial Systems Cluster Initiative (UASCI) is pleased to announce Emily Bell has joined our team as Program Manager.

MITRE and our partners created and tested a new airborne collision avoidance system, advancing critical innovation to further the development of uncrewed aircraft systems and earning a prestigious R&D100 innovation award.

It may be hard for newer entrants to the sector to realize that just 10 years ago, the commercial use of drones was actually illegal in the United States, according to a Section 333.  From 2014 – 2016, companies who wished to operate drones commercially had to receive a Section 333 exemption from the FAA.  It wasn't until the introduction of Part 107 in 2016 that there was a clear and standardized legal path for commercial drone use.

Throughout 2022, NASA's held a series of tabletop discussions to determine how electric air taxis could be safely integrated into the national airspace, paving the way for passengers to eventually be able to travel quickly between cities via aerial highways.

This past year, Commercial UAV News covered the products and services, technological advances, regulatory changes, and innovative ideas that are defining the drone industry. Our articles, reports, and webinars addressed the wide range of topics that are impacting the way we do business today and how we will improve our operations in the future.
As 2022 comes to an end, we looked back at the past year and created a round-up of some of the most popular pieces that we published over the past 12 months:

This week on the Dawn of Drones podcast, Wednesday December 21 at 11:00 AM EST – Dawn asks industry leaders to reflect on 2022 in drones.

Next Generation Aviation, both the passenger-less uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) and passenger-carrying Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), had a banner year in 2022 with announcements, approvals, certifications, new deployments, amazing statistics, and engagement from government stakeholders. Industry highlights included the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Beyond Visual Line of Sight Aviation Rule-making Committee (ARC) Report that focused on the necessity and opportunity for advanced operations at scale, the first airworthiness certifications in the United States, the expansion of drone delivery around the world, the adoption of Performance Based Regulations (PBR) in new countries, and, rumor has it, the recognition of new risk assessment methods for UAS by international regulators in SARPS out for review. So, it's that time of year once again to ask, "What's in store for next year?"

The first Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race, planned for May 2023, will be a four day, 1,000 nm cross-country event beginning in Omaha, NE and ending near Kitty Hawk, NC.

AUVSI was a sponsor and participant in the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) Global Conference and Exposition in Washington, D.C. where industry participants joined together with regulators and air traffic control representatives to discuss the latest trends and technology in air traffic control.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association praised the European Commission's (EC) publication of its Drone Strategy 2.0, saying it outlines several "flagship actions" that align with the industry's goals for advanced air mobility.

The University of Delaware's Center for Composite Materials (CCM) hosted the Second Annual Review of the NASA University Leadership Initiative Composite Manufacturing Technologies for Aerospace Performance at Automotive Production Rates project. 

The unmanned traffic management market is expected to grow from US$ 867.99 million in 2022 to US$ 3,217.40 million by 2030; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 17.8% from 2022 to 2030.

I had a great  conversation recently with Miquel Ros on his Allplane podcast. It was a couple of hours of good discussion across a range of aviation-related topics, and I encourage people to listen in here instead of just reading my gloss.
My projection of aviation refueling through 2100 with its broad error bars was central. We had a good discussion about the drivers of the projection.

A festival celebrating the earliest form of aviation was complemented by the very latest in aviation technology, when drone show specialist Verge Aero flew a series of spectacular light shows for the 50th anniversary Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (AIBF) in New Mexico.

Dronisos is proud to share its know-how and passion for Drone Light Shows with Flyby Guys.
Flyby Guys is officially a certified operator of the Dronisos drone show system. This was achieved after a
week of rigorous training and collaboration at Dronisos' headquarters in Bordeaux, France.

Dronamics, the leading middle-mile cargo drone developer and operator, and Cranfield Aerospace Solutions (CAeS), a leading innovator in the development of zero emissions solutions for aerospace, announced that they will be combining their expertise to integrate hydrogen fuel-cell technology into the Black Swan, the long-range cargo drone developed by Dronamics.

The AUVSI NE UAS and AAM Summit, held at the Northeastern University Innovation Campus, took place last week with an impressive lineup. Among the speakers offering a rare opportunity for an open discussion was Lt. Col. Thomas F. Meagher, Division Chief, AFWERX Prime, Department of the Air Force.  AFWERX is one of the military agencies most actively supporting and investing in new unmanned technology companies, helping startups reach commercial viability and scale through investment, testing, and other services.

Our goal at Flyover Future is to highlight the innovation and entrepreneurship going on in the heartland of the U.S. This week, we touch down in St. Louis, a city becoming known for its work in geospatial intelligence, to speak with the co-founders of WingXpand, an aerospace startup that manufactures aviation and aerospace components. James Barbieri is co-founder and CEO of WingXpand and Michelle Madaras is its co-founder and chief customer officer. We spoke to them from Los Angeles where they are participating in the TechStars program.

Aeroporti di Roma (ADR), Atlantia, UrbanV, and the pioneer of urban air mobility (UAM), Volocopter, have successfully completed the first crewed eVTOL test flights in Italian airspace. These tests were part of a mobility ecosystem setup at Fiumicino's Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. This is a key milestone toward the envisioned rollout of advanced air mobility (AAM) services in Rome by 2024, with the partners having initiated operations of the first fully functional vertiport in Italy. 

Defense TechConnect's six Innovation Challenges feature "Shark Tank"-style pitches by startups, universities and national labs competing for more than $500,000 in total prizes and access to more than $50 billion in prototype-level contracting authority for government customers.

Twice this week, football games in the U.S. were abruptly halted while stadium security teams attempted to deal with rogue drones over the field.

Companies around the world are creating innovative new aircraft designs like electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs), and other aircraft concepts for use in emergency response and the delivery of packages and cargo. However, these aircraft will only grace U.S. skies after the Federal Aviation Administration provides assurance that they are safe to transport passengers or fly over communities.

Verizon received the International Standards for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) registration for best practices for its commercial drone program.

U.S. Air Force AFWERX Agility Prime Initiative Grants Mayman Aerospace $1.25M in Funding for development of Speeder Air Utility Vehicle, an ultra compact VTOL.

NASA recently published a whitepaper outlining more than 450 considerations for selecting vertiport locations. According to Nancy Mendonca, Deputy of the AAM Mission Integration Office at NASA, there was previously a lack of understanding in vertiport site selection. The Community Integration Working Group, of which Mendonca is the Technical Lead, gathered input from subject matter experts in a variety of areas in order to create this extensive list. The objective of this working group is to address social concerns surrounding safety, security, affordability, noise, privacy, and legality to achieve successful integration of AAM (advanced air mobility) vehicle operations in metropolitan areas. 

Boeing and electric air taxi developer Wisk unveiled a concept of operations this week that includes recommendations for deploying and integrating urban air mobility (UAM) in the United States. Wisk, which is developing an autonomous electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, is backed by both Boeing and Kitty Hawk Corporation.

This is the latest book from long-time airspace integration participant/advocate Douglas Marshall.

Although developers of electric vertical takeoff and landing eVTOL air taxis have yet to receive certification of their aircraft, a few industry leaders have been thinking ahead to operations and what the experience will look like for passengers as well as pilots. 

Expanding the size of the angel investor pool who understand realistic market timing and technical platform requirements is valuable for the whole industry ecosystem. There are two emerging aerospace industry areas that the UAS Angel Network focuses on, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Advanced Air Mobility technology (AAM). Both of these platforms are beginning to accelerate the development of disruptive technologies at a rate not seen since the early days of traditional aviation.

Analytics Insight has announced World's 10 Best Drone Companies to Watch in 2022′ in its September magazine issue. The issue is focusing on amazing drone companies that are building the core infrastructure for the global aviation ecosystem. 

NASA investigates the possible flight safety constructs needed for urban air mobility.

NASA's urban air mobility airspace architect is looking into the considerations of flight safety management for large drones, copters and urban air taxis.

School is back in session, and DriveOhio has partnered with the Mastery School of Hawken in northeast Ohio to kick off its latest Vertiport Innovation Challenge. Using Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) skills, students will focus on identifying an opportunity to implement advanced air mobility in their community.

The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and SAE International will co-host the second edition of their Business of Automated Mobility Forum: Flight Path to UAM on September 27-28, 2022.

According to NASA, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is "a system of air transportation that transfers people and freight between places previously not serviced or underserved by aviation – local, regional, intraregional, and urban – employing revolutionary new aircraft that are only just now becoming feasible." Being at the intersection of three emerging trends—electrification, distributed propulsion, and autonomy—it is aerospace's newest market and, in recent years, the one that has spurred the bulk of innovation.

The University of North Dakota's John D. Odergard School of Aerospace Sciences (UND) has received additional funding from ASSURE for continued research into Right of Way rules using technologies associated with autonomous flight.

Oklahoma State University's Oklahoma Aerospace Institute for Research and Education (OAIRE) has received two federal grants to expand its reach and impact in the development of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

The Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, or NAAMCE, Aug. 23, 2022, in Springfield, Ohio. 

The Vertical Flight Society (VFS) is in the final stages of preparation for the latest in a series of highly successful workshops focused on advanced air mobility (AAM) infrastructure. The 6th Workshop on AAM Infrastructure will be held Sept. 20-22, 2022, in Dayton, Ohio, at the Marriott at the University of Dayton.

The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Science and Technology Directorate recently awarded Berry Aviation, Inc. a $1.45M contract to design and develop a new Group 1 Unmanned Autonomous System (UAS) for Special Operations Forces (SOF).

Around the world, pressure is increasing on regulators to develop and refine concepts of operations to accommodate the future capabilities new types of aircraft, such as eVTOL aircraft and autonomous drones. Many in the aviation industry envision an advanced air mobility future, where such aircraft transport passengers and cargo around big cities from vertiports.

NASA Langley Research Center held a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 17 to mark the beginning of construction on its new vertical wind tunnel, the Flight Dynamics Research Facility (FDRF).

It makes sense to perform the most hazardous activities in simulations when you're testing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous vehicle prototypes, or simply automobiles in general. An early autonomous system may be extremely unpredictable, and Tesla warns that they might "make the wrong decision at the worst possible time." So, before even installing a system on a car, automotive manufacturers are doing a lot of simulator work to prepare the software for reality. At its most extreme, Tesla is building a supercomputer with capabilities far beyond what's needed.

Many assume the Defense Innovation Unit's (DIU) Blue UAS program focuses solely on ready-to-fly drones. "Blue," however, consists of several distinct, but related, lines of effort.

ANTONY QUINN CRAeS, Royal Navy Commander and co-founder of Maverick Aviation Ltd which has created a semi-automated hands-free jetpack, explores the turbulent history of personal air mobility.

Latest Research Report on Aerostructures Market- Information By Component (Fuselage, Flight Control Surfaces, Wings, Nose, Nacelle And Pylon, And Others), Material (Composite, Alloys, And Metals), End-Use (OEM And Aftermarket), Platform (Fixed Wing And Rotary Wing), And Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, And Latin America), Forecast till 2030

The global eVTOL aircraft market is anticipated to grow tremendously by 2033, mainly due to the launch of advanced eVTOL aircraft services. Also, continuous innovations and research in the unmanned aerial technology are expected to make the optionally piloted sub-segment of the market as the most dominant one. Market in the North America region is predicted to witness substantial growth opportunities by 2033.