Joby Gets FAA Sign-Off to Launch Air Taxi Flight Academy

The manufacturer on Tuesday said it received Part 141 flight academy certification from the FAA, laying the groundwork to begin training qualified aviators at its Joby Aviation Academy in Watsonville, California, a short air taxi flight away from its headquarters in Santa Cruz. The company intends to offer private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, and certified flight instructor courses, beginning at entry level. Graduates could go on to fly air taxis for Joby or a competitor.

Joby’s S4 is a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) model that cruises at about 200 mph (174 knots), lifting off vertically like a helicopter but soaring on fixed wings like an airplane. According to the firm, it will produce zero emissions and a fraction of the noise of helicopters, which are the vehicle of choice when it comes to flying around cities.

Joby intends to launch a home-to-airport air taxi service in partnership with Delta Air Lines as soon as next year. But first it will need to train and certify an initial cohort of pilots to fly the aircraft. And because they are so novel, no one is qualified to operate them beyond test flights.

The FAA, however, set the stage for firms like Joby to build up their pilot base with the passage of a special federal aviation regulation (SFAR) on pilot training and certification in October. The rule will remain in effect for the next decade and covers powered-lift aircraft, which include VTOL models. When they enter service, powered-lift aircraft will become the FAA’s first new civil aircraft category since helicopters hit the market in the 1940s.

Since there are few powered-lift aircraft in existence—and even fewer pilots qualified to fly them—the FAA will allow significant portions of the training to take place in a simulator, among other leniencies. According to its website, Joby Aviation Academy is developing its curriculum and will soon announce further details. Courses will be offered to high school-, college-, and professional-level students.

A Joby spokesperson told FLYING it is already putting some pilots through private pilot ground school to help them obtain an initial rating, to which powered-lift permissions can be added later. It expects to be able to train a commercial airline pilot to fly the air taxi in about six weeks. Early on, the aircraft will likely be staffed by pilots with commercial or military experience.

“As a former airline pilot, I’m particularly looking forward to seeing our flight academy grow in both courses and students in the coming years as we offer highly competitive prices and strong training curricula that position graduates for success in the industry,” said Bonny Simi, president of operations at Joby.

Joby on Tuesday also announced that the FAA accepted its safety management system (SMS) for air operations under CFR 14 Part 5. The SMS, a requirement for Part 135 operators such as Joby, covers the company’s aircraft, manufacturing, operations, maintenance, and flight training. The firm said it received the green light well ahead of the three-year deadline for implementing the system.

The Part 5 approval rounds out Joby’s safety objectives according to its so-called preflight checklist, revealed in June. The company previously received FAA authorization for its Part 135 emergency response program and safety audit program. Remaining steps include obtaining FAA approval for its Part 60 simulators, Part 142 training organization, and training curriculum.

It will also need to add its production air taxi model to its Part 135 permissions, a process Simi in June said is already underway.

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