SAR ‘Airborne Chicken’ - What happens when two different public service agencies feel they should respond to the same call?

First, the sheriff flies two fully equipped AStar B3s and two fully equipped Hueys. They are staffed for search and rescue (SAR) with a medic and hoist operator and have a 24-hr operation. They are more than capable of handling these missions.

The state legislature states SAR is the sheriff’s responsibility. When the Orange County, California, Sheriff’s Department became fully operational to conduct SARs, they agreed first on scene would handle the call, but fire could never beat the sheriff to the scene and are trying to save their jobs.

Ryan Walker,
in a comment on R&WI’s Facebook page

Uber’s Urban Mobility Goals

Very similar to the vertiport concept that was drawn up about 10 years ago. But now we see an increase in rotary traffic and passenger concept drones. Will vertiports or “urban air mobility ports” be an actual possibility in the very near future?

Tony Chambers
Brighton, United Kingdom

Overcoming the huge negative perception of helicopters and “drones” by the non-aviation public should pose a bit of a challenge.

Rick Mann
Dayton Beach, Florida

British Army Retires Lynx Helicopters

Another good piece of equipment that leaves its place to plastic and microchips.

Stefano Ometto,
in a comment on R&WI’s Facebook page

Are Barriers to Electric Urban Air Transport Really That High?

There are some interesting, as well as conflicting, challenges.

A mega city forms the eVTOL’s natural habitat. A mega city with its large sprawled out suburban areas and traffic problems feeds demand for eVTOLs. At the same time, it may hinder the use of eVTOLs because of the noise they produce.

The more popular eVTOLs become, the more eVTOL traffic has to be organized and regulated, and the more vertiports you need. Plus the bigger some of them need to be to handle the traffic (an eVTOL trip becomes pointless if you get redirected to another vertiport).

This is all good, since only “economy of scale” will justify the considerable investments in eVTOLs as well as vertiports.

However, the more vertiports, or the bigger, the more noise. The more they need to be away from where people live. The more you need the car to get you to and from a vertiport in the first place. Unless you solve the noise issue dramatically.

Non-operational, big-footprint eVTOLs waiting to be recharged on vertiports, are a waste of space and money. Swapping batteries makes sense.

Phil, in a comment on rotorandwing.com