Wisk Aero’s autonomous Generation 6 aircraft completes its maiden sortie. [Credit: Wisk Aero]
Key Takeaways:
Wisk Aero, a Boeing-backed company, successfully conducted the maiden autonomous, uncrewed flight of its Generation 6 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi.
The Gen 6 is designed to be the first autonomous passenger-carrying aircraft certified in the U.S., targeting a commercial launch in major cities before 2030.
Operating on preprogrammed flight plans, the air taxi utilizes advanced autonomous systems for navigation and obstacle avoidance, aiming to meet commercial aircraft safety standards.
Wisk plans extensive testing and collaborations with the FAA and NASA to achieve certification and integrate its autonomous eVTOL into the national airspace system.
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.
