Lift partners with Charm Aviation on New York tour flights
Austin-based Lift Aircraft has signed a letter of intent with Charm Aviation, one of the largest helicopter tour operators on the US East Coast, to bring personal flight to New York as early as 2023.
Anyone will be able to learn to fly its semi-autonomous eVTOL aircraft in less than an hour, and then solo pilot the single seat, ultralight vehicle on aerial tour flights with no pilot’s license required.
Under FAA rules, flights are limited to uncongested flyover areas and uncontrolled airspace, so plans are in the works to develop Lift vertiports along New York City’s many waterfront areas that provide access to the Class G Visual Flight Rules (VFR) corridor that extends up to 1,300 feet around Manhattan.
Unlike most eVTOL aircraft in development today, Hexa is already approved to fly under the FAA’s Part 103 rules, and no pilot’s license is required to fly for personal or recreational, non-commercial use.
Lift Aircraft CEO Matt Chasen said: “New York is one of the largest markets for helicopter tour and air taxi operations in the world, and we expect the region will be one of the biggest markets for next generation urban air mobility as well. We’re thrilled to be partnering with the owners of one of the largest helicopter operators in New York to bring Lift to the region.”
Charm Aviation operates one of the largest helicopter fleets on the East Coast, with operations in New York, New Jersey and Baltimore. Lift and Charm will establish a joint venture to operate in the greater NYC area.
The parties have agreed to a pre-order for 100 HEXA eVTOL aircraft that they intend to deploy to multiple Lift vertiport locations they will jointly develop in the greater NYC area over the next five years.
Charm Aviation president Caitlyn Ephraim explained: “Our top-selling helicopter tour flights last between 12 to15 minutes, so HEXA’s flight time is a perfect fit for self-piloted, recreational flights.
“These small, electric aircraft are ‘geo-fenced’, to keep them confined to pre-defined flight areas and corridors, have zero direct emissions, and are much quieter than helicopters, and I can’t wait to fly around the Statue of Liberty.”
Hexa has already received its initial airworthiness certification by the US Air Force (USAF). In April, Lift Aircraft was awarded a Phase 3 contract through the USAF’s Agility Prime Program, to continue experimentation and flight testing around Hexa.
