Lift Aircraft Archives - ByDanJohnson.com

Lift Aircraft

Austin, TX 78731 - USA

LSA Pilot Review of a Multicopter: Lift Aircraft’s Part 103-Eligible Hexa

By Scott Severen || January 9, 2024 9 Comments

Ready or not, new flying machines are headed our way. Correction, they are already here and a wave of similar entries could follow (see earlier reports). The earliest market-ready arrivals qualify under FAR Part 103.

I believe this website needs to report these aircraft, so with pleasure, I announce the following to be perhaps the first multicopter pilot report from "one of us." Scott Severen is a longtime LSA pilot, the importer of Jabiru aircraft, and the newly-elected President of LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association. Scott offers his impressions as one of the very first non-company pilots to fly one of these aircraft. Some call them multicopters (me). Some prefer eVTOL. C'mon, have you said a mouthful like "eVTOL" to any non-pilot? …or even to most pilots? They look at you blankly, "Huh?" Marketers of these aircraft have yet to settle on a catchy word to identify them. "Drone" is still widely used but it's not specific enough for man-carrying aircraft. So, I'm sticking with multicopter for any aircraft that does not pivot its wings or powerplants. If you prefer, insert your term of choice whenever I write multicopter.

Scott has the titles I referenced above but he is also a very experienced hang glider, Part 103 ultralight, microlight, and LSA pilot with experience across the aviation spectrum for nearly his whole life (his father was U.S. Air Force). Scott knows more about light aircraft than most other individuals on the planet. I consider him an excellent choice for this pilot report on Lift Aircraft's Hexa. Enjoy! —DJ

A New Way of Flying …eVTOL… YES, YOU CAN!

A new kind of ultralight is emerging. Unfamiliar flying machines combine familiar ideas with new technologies — sometimes created from scratch — to provide a fresh new opportunity for more people to safely achieve one of man’s oldest dreams.

Jace “Digit” McCown, Director of Flight Operations and Chief Pilot for Lift Aircraft, gives simulator training to Scott Severen (in VR headset).

The Ultralight eVTOL, or multicopter, is a battery-electric vehicle with multiple motors and rotors (propellers). Being ultralight, they are single occupant and, yes, they are easy to fly with some training. No FAA pilot certificate is required. How do you prepare for this new sensation of flight? Simulators are an excellent training tool and Lift Aircraft uses them to great benefit. With or without previous flight experience, just a few minutes of Hexa sim time builds your confidence creating excitement about flying Hexa.

SIMULATOR TRAINING — Lift used about a half hour of simulator training: Take off, stabilize, land. Then take off, gain altitude, twist left and right. Then fly a giant square: fly forward about 100 feet, slide left, fly backward, then slide back to your starting point. Finally, fly forward and make a turn in one direction or the other. If you can do these things OK, then students get to “free fly” for a couple minutes. ••• A ground-based training covering regulations, airspace, and safety took another half hour.

While sims are great for preparation and familiarization, they do not re-create real life experience gained by flying. Just ask the sim pilots that tried to re-create Sullenberger’s flight when he chose landing on the Hudson River.

Describing Hexa

While simple in appearance, Hexa requires a preflight as any pilot would expect. Hexa is an all-carbon structure, using an overhead set of 18 independent motors, each with its own battery. These elements are easy to visually inspect.

While the powerplants are independent to prevent failure propagation, they are orchestrated to play as a team, forming a so-called distributed electric propulsion system that handles maneuvers around the different flight axes. Each motor and propeller is strategically canted just off the vertical — all tilt slightly away from center — to aid control effectiveness. Controlling power at each motor alters the flight motion. Redundancy Redefined — Hexa can lose up to 6 random or 2 adjacent powerplants and still maintain normal flight, engineers report. Hexa employs three redundant control systems. If one system has a glitch, number 2 takes over, and so on.

Designed differently from other Part 103 ultralight eVTOLs, Hexa is tall. The cabin structure is affixed to the “overhead powerplant.” Landing gear are fastened below and perform double duty as floats. To assure stability for a vertical take off and landing aircraft, six gear legs ending in floats are spaced around the perimeter. A seventh float is under the cabin. These allow landing on water and are energy absorbing on terra firma. Stepping up into the cabin, you buckle the four-point pilot restraint. A windshield moves air around the pilot but the sides are open and lend a very “out there, open cockpit” feel.

Cockpit "Interface"

The nearby image depicts how the Flight Screen and Control Systems are presented on Hexa, and how you interact with Hexa. Such information systems are unique to each Part 103 ultralight eVTOL. (Scott has examined several Part 103 eVTOLs as part of LAMA's program of providing a Technical Standards Committee to review aircraft wishing to approach FAA to qualify as Part 103 vehicles. Scott's experience is rare. Few industry people have scrutinized several of these entries. —DJ)

No rows of controls or banks of switches in this clean cockpit.

Hexa's 12.1-inch touch-screen displays flight and powerplant information:

wind direction/speed
groundspeed
compass
flight direction
home
altitude expressed in AGL (Above Ground Level)
how much flight time (battery) remains
back-up button controls for Takeoff, Land, and Go Home

Lift's joystick is the primary pilot interface with the aircraft. The screen provides information and backup buttons for the three main controls: takeoff, landing, and go home. The joystick describes four possible motions the pilot can initiate: longitudinal (banking); lateral (nose attitude); yaw (rotation about the vertical axis); and vertical (up/down).

PILOT'S VIEW — Here's the view that greets pilots entering Lift's Hexa Part 103 multicopter.

Hexa presents three physical buttons on top of the stick for Take Off, Land, and Go Home. A switch you push up or down with your thumb directs Hexa to go up or down. On the front of the stick is a switch you move left or right with your index finger which activates yaw, or rotation about the vertical axis, like a pirouette except both feet stay on the floorboard. Oh, and that’s all your feet have to do: rest on the floorboard. The joystick moves fore and aft, left and right, or any combination of those movements. This prompts Hexa in the direction the stick is moved. The further you move the stick, the faster you move. Altitude remains the same. A key message for fixed wing pilots is that you are not trading altitude for airspeed when you move the stick, unlike what your three-axis training taught you.

Take Off and Landing

After a systems check and initialization, you are ready to “start your motors.” If you have multiengine training, this may sound like an unusual step, but Hexa makes it easy. You start all 18 motors at once resulting in a soft buzz, all in surround sound.

Scott's brother Gary Severen prepares to fly Hexa.

Pressing the Take Off button on top of the joystick initializes the launch sequence and lifts you to about 10 feet in the air. At this point you set about your flight. You just toggle the up/down switch until you get to the desired altitude, then release. On my flight, I chose up to about 30 feet as the winds picked up to between 10-15 miles per hour. I found it interesting that since Hexa uses GPS for its position, it tilted into the wind just enough to keep me centered above the take-off spot. It doesn’t matter what direction the wind is coming from, Hexa tilts into the wind enough to do its job… technology wonderfully applied. Next, I practiced yawing left and right. A helicopter can do this maneuver, but it is simple in Hexa: you just move the switch on the front of the stick in the direction you want to twist. With no other inputs Hexa holds its position faithfully above the initiation spot, as though a plumb bob was hanging below. I found the flight experience very comfortable. Flight Time — Typical battery range is about 20 minutes. This term depends on how much power you use for maneuvers: the more you climb, the more power is used; the more level flight at slower speeds, the less power you use. Some will say 20 minutes is far too little but for what Hexa is attempting today, that may be sufficient. "Coasting" in flight — With forward flight, or movement in any direction in the same plane, one thing you learn is how far you “coast” when you return the stick to neutral (or just let go of it; it will go back to center). "Sliding" is another neat trick. It’s so easy in Hexa. Move the stick left and slide sideways to the left. I have to say, backing up in the air is an intriguing sensation. Just pull the stick back, a little or a lot. On my flight, I was geo-fenced, so there was no worry about backing into anything, though Hexa also has sensors for collision avoidance. You can see behind you a bit just by rotating your head and body. I didn’t loosen the pilot restraint to allow torquing my body out of the cockpit to see directly behind.

Lift Aircraft Founder Matt Chasen (pointing) speaks to prospective pilots of his Part 103 Hexa multicopter.

Once you’ve mastered the basic maneuvers, you can manipulate the controls to interact in many interesting ways. You can fly forward (or backward) while yawing/pirouetting. You can fly a “facing forward” square: forward stick, up button, aft stick, down button. You can finesse the controls to make a giant vertical circle, like on a Ferris Wheel, or you can scribe a lateral circle. You can fly forward and climb, then reverse the actions and go backwards “downhill.” Or, you twist around to see your descent. Imagine a 3-dimensional dance floor… Hexa presents a moving map on the glass display, though all I referenced was how much battery remained. I found so much to enjoy outside of the cabin but not to worry, Hexa will take you “home” to your lift-off spot before you run out of battery. It’s pretty smart that way.

After my encounter with Hexa, let me assure you, you really won’t want to stop flying this machine! Hexa is a blast to fly and no flight experience is needed. A high confidence level comes quickly, supported by the inherent safety of all the redundant systems including a ballistic airframe parachute, one optimized for Hexa's common low altitude of operation. This parachute system is autonomous; it fires if it senses a non-recoverable situation. A pilot does not really have time to assess the situation then pull a handle from 40 feet in the air. You won’t want to miss an opportunity play in the skies with Hexa when you get the chance! The company plans tours to get more people airborne in a Lift Hexa

Thanks, Scott, for that fun look at Hexa. I don't know about you but when I'm anywhere near one of these whirlybirds, I'm going up in it! —DJ

ARTICLE LINKS:

Earlier article with lots of facts and info about Lift Hexa, from January 2022
Lift Aircraft, contact info and all content on this website
US Sport Planes, Scott Severen's Jabiru import business
LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturer's Association, organization website
Multicopter articles, published on this website

Watch Scott Severen and his brother Gary fly Hexa by Lift Aircraft in this short video. https://youtu.be/06HeLzfgZAY

Ready or not, new flying machines are headed our way. Correction, they are already here and a wave of similar entries could follow (see earlier reports). The earliest market-ready arrivals qualify under FAR Part 103. I believe this website needs to report these aircraft, so with pleasure, I announce the following to be perhaps the first multicopter pilot report from “one of us.” Scott Severen is a longtime LSA pilot, the importer of Jabiru aircraft, and the newly-elected President of LAMA, the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association. Scott offers his impressions as one of the very first non-company pilots to fly one of these aircraft. Some call them multicopters (me). Some prefer eVTOL. C’mon, have you said a mouthful like “eVTOL” to any non-pilot? …or even to most pilots? They look at you blankly, “Huh?” Marketers of these aircraft have yet to settle on a catchy word to identify them.

News Wrap — Lift Offers Part 103 Hexa for Work; Aero Asia Success Points to 30th Anniversary Event

By Dan Johnson || December 10, 2023 4 Comments

As I recently wrote about Aerial Work for Mosaic LSA, perhaps it's fitting to write about Part 103 vehicles doing commercial work.

But isn't flying for hire prohibited in Part 103? Yes, it is. However, "public use" aircraft do not have to meet FAA aircraft certification regulations nor operating limitations. "Public use" can include activities like police, fire, rescue, border patrol, and similar typically government functions whether provided by federal, state, or local agencies. In short, government departments at all levels get special privileges.

"Lift is the first company in the United States to start serial production of an eVTOL aircraft," the Texas company announced.

This means little to pilots unless you are one flying for a government agency. For the producers, however, this can mean potentially lucrative sales. In the case of Part 103 multicopter producers it may represent a means of market entry. In this article I reference an aircraft covered before called Hexa (earlier article, with more aircraft detail), designed and built by Lift Aircraft in Austin, Texas.

First Responders

"Every first responder is now a pilot," stated Lift Aircraft in their online promotional material. "Imagine a future where any first responder can pilot their own simple, safe, inexpensive air vehicle that can take off and land virtually anywhere. With no pilot's license required and 1/10th of the operating cost of traditional helicopters, our ultralight eVTOL aircraft, Hexa, makes this future a reality."

After six years of development, testing, and now entering production, Lift announced, "Hexa is now available for sale to public agencies." The company said that five production Hexa aircraft are allocated to new public agency partners who opt in soon after the announcement. "With use cases spanning police, fire, medical, search and rescue, emergency, and disaster response," Lift stated, "your agency can be among the very first to leverage electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to serve your agency’s mission.

Lift Aircraft Hexa (multicopter) qualifying under Part 103 Quick facts provided by the company

Approved — Public agencies operate under Public Aircraft (PAO) rules.
Simple to fly, no pilot’s license is required. Beginner training in < 1 hour.
Reduce response times by up to 80% compared to ground vehicles.
Low noise, low profile — land virtually anywhere.
Operate without ultralight limitations (same as certified aircraft).
Completed pre-operational flight and safety test program.
Completed five R&D and test contracts through Phase 3 with USAF.
Extensive BETA pilot test and training program since May, 2023.
Modular cargo configuration can fly payloads up to 350 pounds.
FULL SPECIFICATIONS — See nearby chart

Chart as shown on Lift's website. "Service Ceiling" likely refers to Range.

Buyers will be invited to Lift's training facility near Austin, Texas for a demonstration where pilots will be trained to fly Hexa. Agency staff will meet with Lift's team to discuss the agency's use for the aircraft.

Get Ready for 30th Aero Friedrichshafen

Aero Asia took place for the first time from November 23 to 26, 2023 and reportedly "exceeded all expectations." Aero Asia was held at Zhuhai International Airshow Center in the beautiful coastal city of Zhuhai, Guangdong, China. "More than 268 exhibitors from 17 countries showcased the latest innovations in general aviation," said Aero leaders. Organizers featured a focus on sustainable aviation and eVTOLs.

Aero Asia show producers are the same team who puts on a favorite European show, Aero Friedrichshafen. The Asia edition was planned earlier but China's lockdown policies during Covid doomed the effort. Obviously, demand exists, however, and Aero organizers were no doubt relieved and satisfied to finally achieve their goals. The group also puts on an Aero brand event in South Africa. Under the motto "Get Your Own Wings," Aero Asia attracted around 68,000 visitors over four days. The four-day trade fair took place in the halls as well as on a large outdoor static display (nearby image). "Alongside high-quality conference formats, numerous air shows delighted the trade fair visitors," added Aero Asia organizers

Image from Chi-Tai "Tai" Hsieh of LSA producer AeroJones Aircraft. Shown is Sky Trek as previously reported here (video pilot report).

"Exhibitors recorded good business at the first edition of the trade fair taking 239 aircraft orders with a total order volume of $1 billion," reported Aero. The event was organized by Zhuhai Airshow Group Co., Ltd, also known as the organizer of Airshow China. Aero Asia 2023 was conducted in partnership with Messe Friedrichshafen GmbH, aided by various government agencies and 22 supporting associations, authority departments, and colleges.

Aero Asia plans a successive trade fair for November 2025, skipping a year as is common for such events outside the United States.

ARTICLE LINKS:

Lift Aircraft, contact information and content on this website
Hexa, aircraft model information on this website
Aero Friedrichshafen, event website

As I recently wrote about Aerial Work for Mosaic LSA, perhaps it’s fitting to write about Part 103 vehicles doing commercial work. But isn’t flying for hire prohibited in Part 103? Yes, it is. However, “public use” aircraft do not have to meet FAA aircraft certification regulations nor operating limitations. “Public use” can include activities like police, fire, rescue, border patrol, and similar typically government functions whether provided by federal, state, or local agencies. In short, government departments at all levels get special privileges. This means little to pilots unless you are one flying for a government agency. For the producers, however, this can mean potentially lucrative sales. In the case of Part 103 multicopter producers it may represent a means of market entry. In this article I reference an aircraft covered before called Hexa (earlier article, with more aircraft detail), designed and built by Lift Aircraft in Austin, Texas.

A Multicopter for the Rest of Us? Part 103 eVTOL Hexa Is Preparing for a U.S. Tour

By Dan Johnson || January 6, 2022 29 Comments

You can hardly follow any media without finding some article about the latest whizzbang electric propulsion multicopter project that "will transform urban transportation!" Or so they breathlessly exclaim.

Fine. I look forward to going from a downtown hotel to the airport in minutes versus slogging through ground traffic for an hour. Will these arrive in some near future? Maybe. Even if they do arrive sooner than later, would a pilot feel entirely comfortable flying in an autonomous, computer-controlled aircraft? Only you can answer that question. You might get a chance sooner than you think. Whatever you think right now, would you change your mind if you got to fly one of these machines, safely, of course? Since autonomous operation is part of the plan, a current-day Lift Aircraft Hexa could take over any time and land safely on its own. Heck, my ancient (3-year-old) DJI drone can do that, with zero input from me. These things are pretty smart. So is a Tesla. The controlling technology is largely here. So… would you go fly one?

Animated image shows earlier five-float system. Stability was enhanced with seven floats.

From its base in Austin, Texas, Lift Aircraft has announced big plans. Reviewing their historical performance, it appears this company is capable of advancing rapidly to real-life products. Contrarily, some of these multicopter or swing-wing (Osprey-like) projects promote futuristic Urban Air Mobility (UAM) schemes focused on bringing in millions of dollars, delivering more promise than product.

On the other hand, Lift's short history shows a steady movement toward their goals. They've checked a lot of the right boxes, enlisted some experienced talent, and look to be on their way, even finishing their first "shipset" and claiming, "Lift is the first company in the United States to start serial production of an eVTOL aircraft."

Quick Look-Back…

In November of 2017 — Lift Aircraft founded.
December 2017 — Design work underway
July 2018 in Lago Vista, Texas — First unmanned flight
October 2018 in Lago Vista, Texas — First manned flight

In less than one year after the company's founding, Lift Aircraft CEO, Matt Chasen, piloted Hexa on its inaugural manned flight. "Our team produced a clean-sheet, hover-focused design optimized for safety and conforming to FAR Part 103," Matt said. After showing the aircraft at various events, Lift is ready to take Hexa on the road offering 15,000 people who signed up a chance to pilot the aircraft. "We’re excited to announce that we’re on track to launch customer flights — including our 25-city U.S. Tour — in 2022," Lift said. "This would make us one of the first eVTOL operators and you, one of the first eVTOL pilots in the world."

Should You… Support or Object?

As I wrote this article, I knew sharp-eyed readers might (1) question Hexa's weight and (2) accept its weight or not, some would lament this could chance unraveling the almost 40-year-old Part 103 regulation. Now, numerous readers have said for years that the rule needs updating but many others argue that asking for any change might put FAA's least restrictive regulation at risk.

With those two points in mind, what say you? It doesn't matter if you love or hate Hexa. Do you welcome their novel approach to meeting 103 parameters or do you think it could jeopardize Part 103? Mosaic, the new regulation expected by the end of 2023, is significantly aimed at accommodating eVTOLs, UAMs, and drones into the airspace. Most readers are focused on how Mosaic affects LSA but multicopters are a major reason why Mosaic exists in the first place. However, the new reg is still two years away. Therefore, a multicopter that can actually qualify with FAA as a Part 103 vehicle and is (nearly) ready for the market has an early lead. Slipping into a sweet spot, Lift and their Hexa need not wait for Mosaic, yet will benefit from its arrival.

Here's how the Part 103 calculations work for Hexa:

Base empty weight allowance: 254 pounds
Floats (30 pounds each x 7 floats): 210 pounds
Ballistic parachute: 24 pounds
Total allowed: 488 pounds
Current Hexa empty weight: 432 pounds
Excess allowance remaining: 56 pounds

Wait! Seven floats? Yes, six on legs and one under the cockpit. Given the 15-foot diameter of the overhead rotor assembly, Hexa needs a wider stance to be stable in the water. This helps Lift on their weight allowances. Does FAA buy it? Advisory Circular 103-7, issued to guide FAA field offices who evaluate Part 103 Ultralight Vehicles, "has no verbiage that restricts the number of floats," concluded an FAA MIDO manager when asked specific questions about this aspect of Part 103. FAA may have only envisioned two (larger) floats on a forward landing aircraft but a vertical landing machine requires a different arrangement.

Will "the Public" Fly Hexa?

To reassure pilots and everyone else, Lift has put major attention on safety. "Hexa is semi-autonomous so, regardless of what the pilot does, it will only fly in a safe manner within the limits programmed into the autopilot computer," notes Lift as they work to bring flying to the public.

For example, "The aircraft is continuously calculating the energy required to 'return to home' based on altitude, wind speed and direction. Regardless of what the pilot does, the aircraft will automatically return and land when the battery approaches this level plus a reserve, and it can also automatically land in designated safe landing areas, if necessary.” Hexa presently has a 15-minute flight endurance The plans are more explicit in several ways and you can explore their website to learn more. Does "semi-autonomous" mean you are simply along for the ride? You direct the flight but you (theoretically) cannot screw it up. Is this "cheating?" Are you merely a person saying where you want to fly and the aircraft does it all for you? These are worthy questions pilots may ask.

One answer is that pilots already use design features to operate aircraft more safely: LSA have straight-and-level or 180-turn buttons and very effective autopilots. Engineers went to great trouble to assure an aircraft recovers well from a stall or has landing gear able to absorb hard touchdowns. Are these design features "cheating?"

Lift is starting their first Vertiport where people can come fly Hexa, a concept that could make a lot of sense.

Over many years in this business I've heard dozens of ideas about how to get more people into aviation. This one sounds as good as any and better than most. After an hour in their simulator, Lift Aircraft says anyone can go fly, safely. If — that's a big, giant IF — the software is robust enough, yes, I can believe that. Would it still be flying as a pilot does today? Well, truthfully, few current pilots might be willing to agree but it could produce better outcomes, that is, less crashes. This story is just beginning and I'll circle back if readers show an interest. But here's an important point. Lift does not intend to retail sell their Hexa 103 but rather to rent them at a facility they call "Vertiport" (image). The first is already underway but that's material for another article. I'll tell you what — if a Hexa comes my way, I'd love to take it for a flight. Would you?

The following lists highlight some but not all of Lift's plans. The company seems highly focused on safety. That's probably good for their corporate future but also good for the future of anyone who flies Hexa.

Could Lift Aircraft set up rental facilities and how would they guard against problems?

FAR Part 103 allows rental of aircraft
Redundant 2-way communication with Control (experts guiding a renter's flight)
Dedicated controllers monitoring flight telemetry
Multiple remote pilots on standby
Assisted preflight and safety briefings
Emergency assistance and intervention

What happens if a pilot gets in trouble while flying Hexa?

Flight controlled by computer with joystick input (the pilot does direct the flight, is not just along for the ride)
"Let go" of stick is a controlled hover
Automated precision takeoffs and landings
Automatic low battery Return to Home
Automatic wind speed, direction adjustments

What are some safety features has Lift incorporated into Hexa?

Eighteen motors, propellers, and batteries
Safely land with up to 6 motors disabled
Highly reliable — only 18 moving parts!
Propellers out of reach
Enhanced visibility
Distributed batteries (away from pilot; located under each motor)
All critical systems at least 2x redundant
Design factor of safety — more than 2 everywhere
18 separate batteries for fault tolerance
Batteries located way from pilot (thermal runaway tolerant)
Safe emergency landing capabilities on water
Energy-absorbing center float crumple zone
Whole aircraft air-cushion deploys with low-altitude emergency airframe parachute

First up is Lift's main promotional video. It depicts an earlier model before the float system was made more capable. Current models have seven floats, six arranged in a circle and one directly under the pilot. https://youtu.be/BSbynmTcAYk Although this next video appears aimed at those who may want to invest, it also has numerous scenes you may enjoy. https://youtu.be/7FAYpoI2OKU

You can hardly follow any media without finding some article about the latest whizzbang electric propulsion multicopter project that “will transform urban transportation!” Or so they breathlessly exclaim. Fine. I look forward to going from a downtown hotel to the airport in minutes versus slogging through ground traffic for an hour. Will these arrive in some near future? Maybe. Even if they do arrive sooner than later, would a pilot feel entirely comfortable flying in an autonomous, computer-controlled aircraft? Only you can answer that question. You might get a chance sooner than you think. Whatever you think right now, would you change your mind if you got to fly one of these machines, safely, of course? Since autonomous operation is part of the plan, a current-day Lift Aircraft Hexa could take over any time and land safely on its own. Heck, my ancient (3-year-old) DJI drone can do that, with zero input from me.

Brave New Year — Will Aviation Finally See the Biggest Change Since Orville and Wilbur?

By Dan Johnson || December 29, 2018 3 Comments

All of us who enjoy flight know much about this, but things are changing and perhaps fast enough to push many of us current-aviation experts into a discomfort zone. As you have seen on this website and just about any media outlet reporting on new developments, multicopters are looming ever larger on the horizon. More and more startups — many funded with tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars! — are jumping into the game. Huge aviation names such as Boeing and Airbus are deep into work on new-style flying machines. Some have multiple prop-rotors. Other use pivoting wings with multiple power plants. Nearly all are pure electric though hybrid systems are used and a few are proposing hydrogen-fuel motors. None of this may interest you, the present-day pilot who loves your light aircraft with its fixed (or not) wings and gasoline engine. Few, including me, believe our more commonplace flying machines are going away anytime soon. Batteries remain the weak link in the chain.

However, for short-range urban transport, multicopters may be unstoppable. Such transportation is the goal of Lift Aircraft, a Texas startup that hopes to change the way people travel. An article in an online publication called Motherboard stated, "On a small airfield northwest of Austin, Lift Aircraft is testing ultralight aircraft for personal travel at short distances. [Lift's Hexa is] a vertical take-off and landing system that uses 18 propellers powered by 18 electric motors to move a person across the sky." “We’re not trying to solve the problem of flying long distances,” Matt Chasen, CEO of Lift Aircraft, told Motherboard. “We’re focused on short hop flights in dense urban areas.” Lift's creation is different than the others in some ways and similar in others. My eye was instantly caught by the test flights in a video that shows a pilot controlling the aircraft using a conventional side-stick.

Lift has also listed many features they believe provide safe operation including something they call an Autonomous Ballistic Parachute that uses multiple ballistic devices to provide effective operation, they say, "as low as 10 meters (33 feet)." If I am honest, I can see myself flying in one of these multicopters one day. They might be highly enjoyable with super maneuverability, no airport needed, fantastic visibility, relatively quiet operation, and the chance to hover over a scene of interest. This may be so long coming to fruition that I will never see it …but I wouldn't bet on it. For more info, watch this professionally done video about the Lift aircraft. It includes flying scenes.

Infotech + Aircraft = Multicopters What Happens When Infotech Meets Air Traffic Control?

Jabiru importer Scott Severen alerted me to the Motherboard article but it was about more than Lift's new aircraft. The article addressed the challenges of air traffic control in the new age, that new age that may herald a coming swarm of multicopters. Consider the following…

According to the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there are about 5,000 passenger aircraft in the sky at any given time, which require 521 aircraft towers, 25 air route traffic control centres, and 6,000 airway transportation systems specialists to coordinate. Meanwhile, the FAA also predicts that the number of unmanned drones registered in its database could surge to more than 6 million by 2021—a fleet of robot aircraft that will have to be taken into account when we’re divvying up the skyline.

"Divvying up the skyline" where skyline means airspace sounds rather threatening to current pilots. Many pilots have told me they worry about drones or multicopters interfering with the enjoyment of their aircraft, or worse, causing safety problems. Those concerns may be real but the new flying machines identify the weakness in our current ATC system, great as it has been for aviation safety. It simply takes so many highly-paid controllers with hundreds of facilities and a need for ever-increasing equipment sophistication. That paragraph quoted above sends a message. ATC depends on up to 6,000 workers to move 5,000 aircraft around the skies safely. Imagine millions of new flying machines and the old system begins to look creaky. Already, many criticize FAA for using out-dated computers and other equipment and federal employment system that creates high costs. Can the tech world improve on this? Every day, the FAA's Air Traffic Organization provides service to more than 43,000 flights and 2.6 million airline passengers across more than 29 million square miles of airspace. See this FAA page for more infographics on services FAA performs. That, too, may be changing. Motherboard reported, "NASA is already developing an air-traffic control framework that could track unmanned flying cars that fly under 500 feet. As reported in Skift, the NASA system is meant to be automated. [NASA will] finish its research by 2019, and hand over ideas for the FAA to implement no later than 2025." A Brave New World could start in 2019.

Throughout the 115 years since the Wrights took their Flyer into the skies for the first time, aviation has enjoyed remarkable progress. Wing design, engine design, instrumentation changes, safety enhancements… we have witnessed many dramatic changes in how aircraft ply the skies and do so with increasing efficiency and with less danger to occupants or those on the ground. All of us who enjoy flight know much about this, but things are changing and perhaps fast enough to push many of us current-aviation experts into a discomfort zone. As you have seen on this website and just about any media outlet reporting on new developments, multicopters are looming ever larger on the horizon. More and more startups — many funded with tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars! — are jumping into the game. Huge aviation names such as Boeing and Airbus are deep into work on new-style flying machines.