US Air Force - eVTOL Insights

Elroy Air demonstrates autonomous cargo-handling capabilities of its Chaparral aircraft at Travis Air Force Base

Jason Pritchard29 May 2023

Elroy Air has demonstrated the autonomous ground navigation and cargo-handling systems of its Chaparral aircraft for United States Air Force senior and executive officers, as part of the Golden Phoenix Technology Demonstration Event in California. ...

Joby Aviation appoints former JSOC Commander Lt. Gen Scott Howell to company’s advisory board

Jason Pritchard12 January 2023

Joby Aviation has announced the appointment of Lt. Gen. (ret) Scott Howell, former Commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), to its Advisory Board. As JSOC Commander, Lt. Gen. Howell was responsible for the readiness and mission e...

LIFT Aircraft awarded Phase III contract through Agility Prime to continue flight testing its HEXA eVTOL ultralight

Jason Pritchard8 April 2022

LIFT Aircraft has been awarded a Phase 3 contract through the USAF’s Agility Prime Program, to continue experimentation and flight testing around HEXA, LIFT’s all-electric, single-seat eVTOL aircraft. Since 2020, LIFT Aircraft has conducted fligh...

Electra-MIT team secures US Air Force STTR contract for developing eSTOL aircraft flight controls

Jason Pritchard22 March 2022

The United States Air Force has awarded Electra a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to advance the development of flight control systems for Electra’s hybrid eSTOL...

US Air Force pilots complete first manned demo flight in BETA’s ALIA eVTOL aircraft as part of Agility Prime programme

Jason Pritchard15 March 2022

Two United States Air Force pilots have flown BETA Technologies' ALIA eVTOL aircraft - in what is described as the first-ever manned demo flight with an Agility Prime partner. This milestone - which is the culmination of a two-year partnership be...

Electra.aero wins Phase III SBIR Contract with U.S. Air Force to accelerate development and acquisition of its eSTOL Aircraft

Jason Pritchard9 February 2022

Electra.aero has been awarded a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from the U.S Air Force, which will support the development of Electra’s hybrid-electric ultra-short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. The contract, ...

Talyn Air brings in advisory board members and secures additional US Air Force contracts for its eVTOL aircraft

Jason Pritchard3 February 2022

Submitted by Dawn Zoldi (Colonel, USAF Ret.) Talyn Air has kicked off the new year by announcing two new advisory board members who will be integral in continuing its upward journey. The company is creating a unique eVTOL aircraft inspired by ...

AFWERX Agility Prime completes first USAF-piloted flight of an eVTOL aircraft with Kitty Hawk

Jason Pritchard31 January 2022

The AFWERX Agility Prime programme took another step forward at the end of 2021 with the first US government remotely piloted flight of an eVTOL aircraft. Capt. Terrence McKenna, an Air Force Reserve pilot with the 370th Flight Test Squ...

Astro Aerospace and Jaunt Air Mobility selected to participate in US Air Force’s AFWERX High Speed VTOL Concept Challenge

Jason Pritchard27 August 2021

Astro Aerospace's Cavorite X5 eVTOL aircraft and Jaunt's MAV55 Multi-Mission Air Vehicle have been selected for the highly competitive AFWERX High Speed VTOL (HSVTOL) Concept Challenge. Launched in partnership with the US Air Force and US Special...

US Air Force’s Agility Prime and OneSky to speak at eVTOL Insights’ upcoming virtual networking event

Jason Pritchard21 July 2021

The emerging eVTOL supply chain and OneSky's recent partnership with Eve Air Mobility will be the next topics for discussion at eVTOL Insights' upcoming virtual networking event on July 30th. With less than two weeks to go, eVTOL Insights can con...

US Air Force awards airworthiness approval to Kitty Hawk’s Heaviside eVTOL through Agility Prime programme

Jason Pritchard20 July 2021

AFWERX Agility Prime partner Kitty Hawk has been awarded an airworthiness approval by the US Air Force, which allows Kitty Hawk's Heaviside eVTOL to enter its next phase of flight testing under air force direction. These flight tests will aim to ...

US Air Force’s former assistant secretary Dr. Will Roper becomes Volansi’s new CEO

Jason Pritchard14 July 2021

Volansi has announced Dr. Will Roper as its new Chief Executive Officer, with co-founder Hannan Parvizian becoming the company's Chief Technology Officer and Product Architect. Dr. Roper joined Volansi's board of directors in March 2021 af...

US Air Force uses Kitty Hawk’s Heaviside eVTOL in first medical evacuation exercise

Jason Pritchard8 June 2021

Kitty Hawk has joined the US Air Force's Agility Prime programme, with its Heaviside eVTOL becoming the first electric aircraft to be used in a medical evacuation exercise. A diverse group of industry and government operators, engineers and test...

BETA Technologies’ ALIA eVTOL aircraft receives military airworthiness approval from US Air Force

Jason Pritchard5 May 2021

BETA Technologies has been awarded airworthiness approval for a manned electric aircraft by the US Air Force's Agility Prime programme, with its ALIA eVTOL aircraft having already begun flying under the air force's operational flight test program. ...

Jump Aero and Oklahoma State University receive Phase I STTR contract from Agility Prime program

Jason Pritchard12 March 2021

Jump Aero Incorporated has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) research contract, in partnership with Oklahoma State University, from the U.S. Air Force's Agility Prime program. The company is developing its JA1 eVTOL...

Jaunt Air Mobility supplied contract to develop Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) solutions for electric aircraft

Jason Pritchard12 February 2021

Jaunt Air Mobility has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), to develop Extreme Fast Charging (XFC) solutions for the development of electric aircraft for large scale prod...

AirMap wins $1 million contract from US Air Force to provide UTM services to Agility Prime programme

Jason Pritchard23 September 2020

AirMap has been awarded a $1 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to provide unmanned aircraft system traffic management services to the US Air Force's Agility Prime programme. Awarded by AFWERX, the US Air Force's innovatio...

US Air Force leaders watch LIFT Aircraft’s HEXA eVTOL take flight in first Agility Prime demo

Jason Pritchard24 August 2020

The top three leaders from the US Air Force watched an eVTOL aircraft in flight on Friday, when LIFT Aircraft CEO and Founder Matt Chasen gave a demonstration of the company's single-seat ultralight, HEXA. As reported by the Vertical Flight Socie...

Volansi receives Small Business Innovation Research contact from US Air Force

Jason Pritchard2 July 2020

VTOL UAV developer Volansi has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research contract by the US Air Force, allowing the company to demonstrate its long-distance, heavy-payload VOLY M20 drone. The contract is through the Department of...

Joby Aviation and Beta Technologies progress to next stage of Agility Prime initiative

Jason Pritchard3 June 2020

eVTOL aircraft developers Beta Technologies and Joby Aviation are edging closer to flight testing with the US Air Force, after both progressed to Phase III of the Initial Capabilities Opening as part of Agility Prime's 'Air Race to Certification'. ...

Thousands watch virtual launch of US Air Force’s ‘Agility Prime’ eVTOL programme

Jason Pritchard28 April 2020

An estimated 6,000 people tuned in to watch the launch of the US Air Force's 'Agility Prime' eVTOL programme yesterday (Monday). The virtual event is being broadcast online this week as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, and its objective is t...

US Air Force to kick off ‘Agility Prime’ eVTOL programme with virtual launch next week

Jason Pritchard24 April 2020

The US Air Force (USAF) will launch its eVTOL aircraft development programme, called Agility Prime, with a week-long schedule of virtual events starting on Monday. The objective is to reinforce the USAF’s commitment to partnering with industry in...