Briefing: July 2018

Flight schools are finding it hard to retain instructors because airlines are hiring them away, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accounting Office. Schools also find it challenging to recruit new students, due to the high cost of training. Also, the Helicopter Association International, in a study undertaken with the University Of North Dakota, projected a shortage of more than 7600 helicopter pilots by 2030. Helicopter mechanics will become even scarcer, with a shortage of 40,613 predicted in the U.S. by 2036. Bills aimed at supporting aviation workforce development have been introduced in both the House and the Senate over the last several months.

Editorial Staff

Tuesday, June 12, 2018 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. aviation sector faces significant projected shortages of pilots and mechanics, leading to recruitment challenges for flight schools and proposed legislative action.
Uber Elevate is actively advancing eVTOL urban air taxi technology, aiming for commercial service by 2023, and collaborating with NASA on air traffic control systems for autonomous aircraft.
The NTSB is investigating fatal accidents related to wing cracks in training aircraft and is addressing loss of control as the leading cause of general aviation accident deaths.
The FAA is proposing new rules to facilitate the development and testing of civil supersonic aircraft by easing noise certification and flight authorization.

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Reports Document Pilot Supply Problems

Uber Elevate Explores eVTOL Futures

In its second annual conference, Uber Elevate brought together aviation’s innovators to discuss the technologies needed to develop eVTOL flight for urban transport. Pipistrel, Embraer, Aurora Flight Sciences, Bell, and Karem unveiled new designs for future air taxis. Pipistrel’s new design utilizes dedicated propulsion systems for both cruising and vertical lift and can carry 2 to 6 passengers. It will fly longer distances and at higher speeds than previous models, says Pipistrel, and the new integrated vertical lift system will lower operating costs. “Uber will be ready to start commercial service with urban air taxis by 2023,” said Mark Moore, Uber Elevate’s engineering director. Uber also said it has signed a Space Act Agreement with NASA to create a new air traffic control system that could manage fleets of low-flying autonomous aircraft in urban areas.