Photo credit: Roberto Nickson
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
The AIN Media Group website reported that Archer Aviation has announced planned vertiport sites in Los Angeles. Archer plans to launch an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) network in LA in 2025, in time for the 2027 Superbowl and then the Olympics the next year.
The announcement seems premature to me. Archer just announced in June that its aircraft successfully transitioned from vertical to horizontal flight. Its aircraft is not yet certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly or to carry passengers. Getting zoning approvals for airports in the LA area is subject to a lengthy process, one sure to be met by stiff neighborhood opposition. And I’m not sure I would trust any organization that in its press release can’t tell the difference between the University of California and the University of Southern California to build a safe aircraft, either.
Only time will tell if Archer’s plans will ever fly.
