Scenic Locations To Become Backdrop Unmanned Development

Joby Aviation requested FCC approval for use of the frequencies and bands for prospective aircraft testing on the company's S4 which recently received its airworthiness approval.

The prime testing locations are near some of the most popular sightseeing destinations in the bay area, with one between the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco, and the other not far off the coast of Alameda. 

Test flights are the next item on the agenda as they shake out their eVTOL aircraft, which will soon be joined by a second pre production unit. Should all go well, Joby expects to begin commercial operations in 2024, offering futuristic and sustainable air taxi services. The current spec for the S4 grants an impressive (if short lived, on battery power) 200 mph top speed and a maximum range of 150 miles, carrying four passengers and a single pilot. While the design is expected to serve as a low altitude, point to point transport, a Joby spokesman has said their tester has made a habit of breaking its own records, making it to 205 mph, or up to 7,000 feet AGL along the coast of Santa Cruz, California. The requested test flights will, according to the documentation provided, focus on overwater travel around an hour in the air before returning to recharge.

The FCC's approval is needed to use portions of the radio frequency band Joby wishes to use for scanning and development as they work on squaring away the S4 for unmanned remote flight. 

The tests should help propel the company into the limelight once again, following a string of good news in recent months. Joby is the proud owner and operator of one of the most mature aircraft in the eVTOL scene, having worked alongside the USAF under a multi-year $45 million contract for a variant of their machine to augment the military arm's strategic portfolio. The low-noise, low-emission, lightweight aircraft could prove helpful in a number of combat situations, from troop insertion to autonomous cargo delivery. Joby’s refinement of rotor noise paid dividends with a sound profile 100 times quieter than a conventional helicopter, valuable for nearly any use case. 

FMI: www.jobyaviation.com