Wisk Aero’s autonomous Generation 6 aircraft completes its maiden sortie. [Credit: Wisk Aero]
Key Takeaways:
Wisk Aero's Generation 6 (Gen 6) autonomous eVTOL air taxi completed its inaugural untethered, pilotless hover flight, operating on a preprogrammed flight plan.
The Gen 6 is designed to be fully autonomous from its commercial launch, distinguishing it from competitors, and aims for service in U.S. cities like Houston, Miami, and Los Angeles before 2030.
Wisk is pursuing FAA type certification for the Gen 6, which could make it the first autonomous passenger-carrying aircraft certified in the U.S.
An extensive testing campaign is underway, in collaboration with the FAA and NASA, to ensure the aircraft meets commercial safety standards and integrates into national airspace under instrument flight rules (IFR).
It’s not every day that a new aircraft makes its first flight. Even rarer is a first flight without a pilot in the cockpit.
But that’s exactly how the inaugural sortie for the Generation 6—an autonomous, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi being developed by Boeing’s Wisk Aero—played out.
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Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.
