Volocopter has received permission from German regulators to start training pilots for its eVTOL aircraft.
The German Federal aviation office (Luftfahrtbundesamt) has made the company’s subsidiary, Volocopter Air Services an Approved Training Organisation (ATO).
The ATO certification allows Volocopter to deliver training towards pilot licenses. Over the past year the Luftfahrtbundesamt has checked if the company adheres to the rules and standards required to produce training materials for the aircraft and simulators that the training will be delivered on.
Volocopter’s VoloCity eVTOL air taxi can carry two people up to 35km (22 miles) and has a top speed of 110km/h (68mph). It is propelled by 18 rotors and has a low noise signature for operations in urban areas.
The ATO is a key step towards receiving an Air Operator Certificate, which will allow the company to operate the VoloCity after it receives type certification, which is expected later this year.
As part of the approval, the company will work with the German Federal Aviation office on the transition to finalize the training program for the VoloCity, in preparation for the commercial launch of the aircraft later this year. The training program will meet recently published EASA regulations applicable to the operation and pilot licensing of eVTOL aircraft, said Volocopter.
Oliver Reinhardt, chief of risk and certification at Volocopter said, “This is another substantial milestone on the way to bringing electric air taxis to cities around the world. It bears witness to the robust aviation company Volocopter has become over the past decade and how diligent and professional our entire team works.”
The ATO follows the award of an extension to Volocopter’s Production Organisation Approval (POA) to cover two new production and hangar facilities in Bruchsal, Germany.
This POA extension lists specifically the approved production of an eVTOL aircraft in the POA’s scope of work, from prototyping to serial manufacturing, meaning that the company has entered the pre-serial production stage of manufacturing.
The VoloCity is expected to debut at the Paris Olympics in July this year, for use in transporting officials and athletes around the city. However, recent reports have placed doubt on this targeted entry into service because of regulatory delays Local opposition also exists to the plans.
