Why would a manufacturer add a safety system, such as a parachute, to its aircraft? If you said, “to make it safer,” or “to save lives,” you are half-right. If you said, “so regulators will certify it,” you’ve got the other half. Mark Moore, Uber’s engineering director for aviation, thinks regulators might need to adjust how they give credit if the urban air mobility (UAM) industry is going to be as safe as it can be. The ride-share giant is working to launch an Uber Air program using a selection of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
In aviation, safety is described in terms of the probability of an accident occurring due to vehicle malfunction. In general aviation, the standard used by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is 10-6—meaning that an aircraft isn’t projected to cause an accident more often than once every million flights. Depending on the aircraft’s use—transportation of cargo, passenger-carrying, etc.—and complexity, the standard typically shifts from 10-6 to 10-9. Standards for UAM have not yet been set, but Moore said it looks like regulators will settle at 10-7, changing to 10-8 with the implementation of more complex fly-by-wire systems.
The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.
The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.
The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.
The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.
