Photo: Joby Aviation
Joby is a well-known name in the emerging UAM (Urban Air Mobility) sector, although a few bumps in the road caused it to delay the official launch date of its air taxi in the U.S. Things are looking up at the moment, with Joby having reached another milestone on its way to certification.
Everyone gets all excited when a manufacturer shares images and technical details about an upcoming eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) but what follows is not exactly fun. That is the long, complex and tedious certification process. As hard as it is to develop an air taxi from scratch, it’s even harder to actually get it to take to the sky.
Joby is a good example of that. While its future electric aircraft was quick to gain worldwide notoriety, it wasn’t able to meet the initial launch deadline. At the beginning of this year, it made headlines after crashing during a test flight. But, after all, that’s what pre-production prototypes are for – to take on challenges and, if they fail, to provide important lessons.
Luckily, the California-based manufacturer snapped back and is now proud to announce the successful completion of the second system review that’s required by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Two done, and two more to go.
These particular reviews focus on the aircraft’s overall architecture, from a safety compliance point of view. In this case, it was an in-person, multiday audit conducted at the manufacturer’s facilities in Marina, California.
It’s also just one of the many steps of the certification process, which includes an ongoing submission of multiple documents.
What’s important to remember is that Joby is now much closer to certification, after having obtained the initial Part 135 air carrier certificate back in May. The new service launch deadline was set for 2025 and Joby is confident that this one will stick.
Joby is a good example of that. While its future electric aircraft was quick to gain worldwide notoriety, it wasn’t able to meet the initial launch deadline. At the beginning of this year, it made headlines after crashing during a test flight. But, after all, that’s what pre-production prototypes are for – to take on challenges and, if they fail, to provide important lessons.
Luckily, the California-based manufacturer snapped back and is now proud to announce the successful completion of the second system review that’s required by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Two done, and two more to go.
These particular reviews focus on the aircraft’s overall architecture, from a safety compliance point of view. In this case, it was an in-person, multiday audit conducted at the manufacturer’s facilities in Marina, California.
It’s also just one of the many steps of the certification process, which includes an ongoing submission of multiple documents.
What’s important to remember is that Joby is now much closer to certification, after having obtained the initial Part 135 air carrier certificate back in May. The new service launch deadline was set for 2025 and Joby is confident that this one will stick.
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