Clyde Cessna, Allen Paulson, and Bill Lear. Now, Archer Aviation (NYSE:ACHR) co-CEO and co-founder Brett Adcock wants to follow in their footsteps, joining the ranks of pilots who started successful aircraft manufacturing companies.
Adcock, who launched the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) company with co-CEO Adam Goldstein a few years ago, revealed last month he’s setting out on a personal quest to earn a pilot certificate.
Posting the announcement on Twitter, Adcock said he wants to better educate himself about airspace and flight operations. Just last year, Archer went public and its Maker eVTOL test article took flight for the first time. Archer, along with a handful of other leading eVTOL developers, hope to take their companies to the forefront of an emerging aviation sector backed by billions of dollars and the dream of carbon-free flight.
Because FLYING is made for pilots and those who aspire to flight, we reached out to Adcock for more details about his flight training and what’s behind it. Here’s what he told us:
FLYING: As a co-CEO of an aircraft OEM, specifically, why do you think it’s important for you personally to learn how to fly?
Adcock: The company I co-founded, Archer, is actively working with the FAA on type certifying our eVTOL aircraft. In addition to being an aircraft OEM, we are rolling out our own electric airline here in the U.S. Archer is bringing to market a piloted, four-passenger eVTOL aircraft. The more knowledgeable I can be on piloted operations, the better for Archer longer term which pushed my interest in better understanding piloted operations and the airspace.
I started pilot training to better educate myself on the airspace and piloted operations. Flying Cessna 172 at the Palo Alto airport. pic.twitter.com/0XxIgsqtou
— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) January 5, 2022
‘Ah-Ha Moment’
FLYING: Please describe your “ah-ha moment” when you realized recently that now was the time to start your flight training.
Adcock: For me, being able to deliver the best possible experience with Archer in the long term means understanding the entirety of the ecosystem we’re working to build—and a critical part of that is the pilot experience. So starting my private pilot’s license was a way for me to be as educated as possible on the pilot experience and airspace as Archer is taking our eVTOL through Part 23 FAA certification and into flight operations. I encourage everyone on the Archer team to live our values every day. So this was a logical step for me to take to make sure I can appreciate the perspective of the pilots that will eventually join our team.
Eric Wright, a descendant of Orville and Wilbur, and head of FAA certification at Archer, placed a historic piece of the Wright Flyer in Maker for its first hover flight pic.twitter.com/G7FQBedoW0
— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) December 21, 2021
The Details
FLYING: Tell us about your flight school and your aircraft. Where do you train and how often do you get up in the air?
Adcock: Archer’s headquarters is in Palo Alto right across the street from Palo Alto Airport (KPAO). Palo Alto Airport happens to be a really active airport, so I signed up with Advantage Aviation and started private pilot training in a Cessna 172.
‘Whole New Dimension’
FLYING: How do you feel when you’re flying with your CFI alongside you?
Adcock: Being up in the air is an exhilarating experience as a passenger, but as a pilot, there’s a whole new dimension. It’s a great feeling to harness everything I learned during VFR training and pair it with the dimension of the perspective you get when you’re in flight.
‘Better Educate Myself’
FLYING: What, specifically, about operating an aircraft personally intrigues you the most?
Adcock: I constantly challenge myself to get better at my own job everyday. I started pilot training solely as a way to better educate myself to help maximize Archer’s impact in the long term. At Archer, our core focus is not only manufacturing eVTOL aircraft but operating them across an urban air mobility network. To me, it’s really important that I understand piloted operations and the airspace as much as possible to help give Archer the best chance of success.
Pen on the Dashboard
FLYING: Is there a funny or unique personal anecdote you can share that’s related to your flying lessons?
Adcock: On my first flight out, my instructor let me take off and climb to 3,000 feet. When we got to level flight he put a pen on the dashboard and asked me if I wanted to see it float. He then [pushed the nose over to induce a zero-G situation] which was quite interesting. And the pen floated.
Study Aids
FLYING: As you’re discovering first-hand, the learning curve toward a pilot’s certificate is fairly steep. What study aids do you use to optimize your learning experience?
Adcock: I am currently studying the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge. On top of this, I have a really great CFI who is giving me first-hand knowledge by getting out and flying.
FLYING: How important is it for all CEOs of aircraft OEMs to know how to fly and to have their pilot certificate?
Adcock: I have a personal ambition to educate myself as much as possible to better prepare Archer for daily flight operations. At Archer, we’ve built a team of experts with hundreds of years of combined aerospace experience. We believe it is more important to have the best possible team rather than just one individual who is familiar with how to pilot an aircraft. I am excited to learn more about aviation through my training, but piloting an aircraft isn’t the only way to facilitate growth in this industry.
FLYING: Will Archer ever begin its own flight school for piloting traditional or eVTOL aircraft? If so, when might that happen?Adcock: Right now, we’re focused on the development and certification of our eVTOL aircraft with the FAA. We will continue to share details on our pilot training and flight operations strategy in the near future.
