Eco Helicopters plans to begin urban air mobility (UAM) charter flights in Southern California with a fleet of Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters that will be converted to electric propulsion as soon as the supplemental type certificate (STC) is FAA approved. Instead of waiting for the STC and then building an operating network with a fleet of electric-powered R44s, the company aims to grow a UAM-type charter business in normal piston-powered R44s and then transition them to electric power. The UAM flights in the four-seat piston singles will begin in the second quarter of 2021.
According to Eco Helicopters, it will share the benefits of what it says will be a much lower cost of operation from the electric motors with charter customers and the owners of helicopters that will be leased back to the operator. “The idea is to not wait for the final STC but to put aircraft into charter and tours and create that business model and keep expanding. Then we swap out the engine and install the electric power unit,” said Ric Webb, Eco Helicopters CEO and owner and founder of OC Helicopters. “We want to get in business now and not years from now.”
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