FAA Proposes Special Conditions for Skyryse’s Fly-by-wire R66 Helicopter | Aviation International News

FAA Floats Special Conditions for Skyryse Fly-by-wire R66

Proposed rule addresses pilot awareness of control limits

Skyryse One — Skyryse One is a fly-by-wire modification of the Robinson R66 that swaps conventional helicopter controls for a single stick and touchscreen displays.

By Hanneke Weitering • Science & Technology Editor

August 28, 2026

The FAA has published proposed special conditions for the certification of Skyryse’s fly-by-wire flight control system in the Robinson R66 helicopter. It notes that the fully digital system is a novel design feature not addressed by existing FAR Part 27 regulations for control margin awareness—a cue pilots normally feel, and one the fly-by-wire system will have to synthesize. Public comments on the proposal are due by October 13.

Skyryse of El Segundo, California, applied in 2023 for a supplemental type certificate to install its SkyOS flight control system in the R66 light turbine-single helicopter. A production-representative cockpit design for the converted R66, called Skyryse One, was revealed in January 2025, replacing mechanical controls with a single control stick and touchscreen displays.

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