The FAA is about to launch a consultation on training requirements for pilots of new powered-lift aircraft. The U.S. air safety agency will publish the proposed rules via the Federal Register on June 14 in a document called Integration of Powered-Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations and will allow 60 days for industry comment.
The initiative will address a significant aspect of the uncertainty surrounding how operations with new eVTOL aircraft will be regulated. Manufacturers expect to deliver thousands of all-electric vehicles for applications including air taxi services and cargo deliveries. With an approval path for fully autonomous flight yet to be determined, many industry observers question how the so-called advanced air mobility (AAM) operators will recruit large numbers of pilots at a time when the existing air transport sector is struggling with shortages.
