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USAF Writes History With the First Government Remotely-Piloted eVTOL Flight

A new era is dawning for the U.S. Air Force (USAF), as it reached a milestone when it comes to electric, unmanned aviation – the first government remotely-piloted flight of an eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) was successful.
USAF recently conducted extensive operations on the Heaviside eVTOL 7 photos
Photo: U.S. Air Force
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It’s one thing to learn about various air taxis being developed for future commercial operations, but the fact that USAF demonstrated an eVTOL flight operated remotely by an experienced military pilot is a landmark. Last summer, we were reporting about the initial demonstrations of the Heaviside aircraft, conducted by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)’s technology directorate, AFWERX. These recent flights were the culmination of those tests, confirming Kitty Hawk’s eVTOL as a future strategic asset for the military.

USAF officially stated that this pioneering government flight was part of complex remote-pilot-in-control training on the eVTOL, which unfolded between December 13 and December 17, 2021, in Palo Alto, California. This is where the manufacturer, Kitty Hawk, is headquartered. Founded a decade ago by Sebastian Thrun and backed by Google co-founder Larry Paige, the aviation company developed Heaviside as a result of several previous prototypes and then partnered with USAF through the Agility Prime program.

During these trailblazing flights, Capt. Terrence McKenna, an Air Force reserve pilot, practiced various maneuvers throughout the training week, going from take-off and landing, auto-hover, and manual flight, to fixed-wing flight and transitions to vertical flight. Equipped with eight variable-pitch electric propellers, this eVTOL can hit 180 mph (289 kph) while also offering a 100-mile (160 km) range on a single charge.

For training purposes, the Heaviside also features the Buddy Box setup, comprised of two interconnected remote controllers. This way, an instructor and a student can both operate as an external pilot, in manual flight mode, similarly to how things work in a driver’s education car: the student operates the eVTOL under the instructor’s supervision.

According to the official statement, Kitty Hawk is currently working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on certification, and USAF plans to deploy Heaviside in full automated mode in the near future. The military eVTOL could become essential for tasks such as the transport of injured personnel, evacuation from hostile environments, emergency deliveries, firefighting, and many more.

One thing’s for sure – one day, we will look back at these initial military eVTOL flights as the first steps towards the new aviation ecosystem.
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About the author: Otilia Drăgan
Otilia Drăgan profile photo

Otilia believes that if it’s eco, green, or groundbreaking, people should know about it (especially if it's got wheels or wings). Working in online media for over five years, she's gained a deeper perspective on how people everywhere can inspire each other.
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