Volocopter Flies at EAA AirVenture

Volocopter’s mission is simple: bring urban air mobility to life. A Volocopter 2X flight at EAA AirVenture on Tuesday, July 27, helped refine that mission. It represented the first ever publicly-crewed test flight of a fully electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) air taxi in the US. The aircraft took off at 2:45 pm and conducted a four-minute flight at an altitude of 160 feet at a blistering top speed of 18 mph. The company said, “This successful flight marks a key milestone in Volocopter’s plan to raise awareness of air taxis among populations around the globe and is critical to the long-term success of delivering advanced air mobility (AAM) and urban air mobility (UAM) solutions.” People attending the show were able to view the flight at Volocopter’s booth.

In a news release the company said, “Volocopter is the only eVTOL developer with a family of electric aircraft for passengers and goods. This aircraft family includes aircraft for both long and short distances within cities and beyond (VoloCity and VoloConnect air taxis and VoloDrone heavy-lift drone). Volocopter’s holistic approach to launching UAM services entails partnering with global industry leaders to offer the whole operating UAM ecosystem, including infrastructure and the digital backbone (VoloPort and VoloIQ) to integrate services into existing transport systems in cities.”

Rick Larsen, EAA vice president of communities and member programming commented, “Oshkosh is a haven for enthusiasts and experts to embrace the pioneering spirit of aviation, and today’s Volocopter flight is one for the history books. This is the spirit of Oshkosh giving our visitors the chance to experience real pioneers, who will change aviation for good, right here.”