Joby is in the early stages of planning flights in its eVTOL prototype over San Francisco Bay. The company confirmed it has filed an application with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for special temporary authority to use specific radio frequencies to conduct the flight tests, each lasting around an hour and at 5,000 feet. Joby is also discussing the plan with other local and federal authorities, including the FAA.
Earlier this month, Joby added a second preproduction prototype to a flight-test program that has already logged more than 5,300 miles. This included a flight of just under 155 miles on a single electric charge, which the company claims is the longest flight yet by an eVTOL, although rival Beta Technologies said its fixed-wing Alia 250 prototype has flown 205 miles. Joby also recently reported a flight in which its aircraft achieved a top speed of 205 mph.
Joby reportedly intends to make public flights close to two popular sightseeing locations: one between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island and the other to the south of the Bay Bridge and close to Alameda. To date, all of Joby’s flight testing has been conducted over private land near its Santa Cruz headquarters and over remote coastal locations.
Want more? You can find a longer version of this article at FutureFlight.aero, a news and information resource developed by AIN to provide objective coverage and analysis of cutting-edge aviation technology.
