AutoFlight launches in the US with two senior aviation industry-leading appointments

Global eVTOL pioneer AutoFlight has opened a US office in Napa County, California
Appoints Eviation Aircraft co-founder and former CEO Omer Bar-Yohay and Joby Aviation’s former Business Development Lead Chad Cashin
As President, Omer will lead AutoFlight’s operations while Chad becomes the company’s Chief Commercial Officer
AutoFlight plans to launch its first US flights in the coming months

Napa County, CA (5th October 2022): AutoFlight, the global eVTOL pioneer, today announces the opening of its first US office at Napa County airport in California.

Its expansion is supported by the hiring of two senior industry veterans. Omer Bar-Yohay (co-founder and former CEO of Eviation Aircraft) has been appointed as AutoFlight’s President, while Chad Cashin (formerly leading Business Development at Joby Aviation) assumes the role of Chief Commercial Officer.

One of the team’s first tasks will be to achieve a successful transition flight of its air taxi, dubbed, Prosperity I, over US soil, which it plans to accomplish in the coming months.

In June AutoFlight released its latest video of Prosperity I featuring a new design with upgraded lift & cruise configuration, optimized lifting propellers, and enhanced hover and cruise performance. AutoFlight has successfully completed over a hundred full transition flights of its aircrafts in 2022 and is well on route to continue expanding the flight envelope and maturing its European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification program.

Prosperity I is designed for short transfers between parts of a city, airport commutes, connecting two nearby cities or enabling trips to the countryside while avoiding traffic on the ground. When ready for commercial flight in 2025, it is expected that a trip that takes hours by car will be reduced to about 10 minutes with Prosperity I, without being any less safe or more expensive than a car taxi ride.

Omer Bar-Yohay, President of AutoFlight said:

“The AutoFlight name is synonymous with simplicity, safety, and getting things done. I’m delighted to be joining this fantastic team. Chad and I have been welcomed with open arms, and we’re excited to support our new colleagues on their inspiring journey to unlock the skies for mass individual transport by creating safe, efficient, eVTOL aircraft that make economic sense too.”

AutoFlight’s US expansion is the latest in a list of milestones for the eVTOL innovator, which also includes the establishment of a European base in Augsburg, Germany, the appointment of Mark Henning (formerly of Airbus) as its European Managing Director, as well as $100 million investment from next-generation mobility investor Team Global.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced the eight companies that will assist the Federal government in establishing requirements for future suppliers of Remote Identification (Remote ID). Remote ID will enable Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), commonly called drones, to provide identification and location information while operating in the nation’s airspace.

The FAA selected the following companies to develop technology requirements for future Remote ID UAS Service Suppliers (USS): Airbus, AirMap, Amazon, Intel, One Sky, Skyward, T-Mobile, and Wing. These companies were selected through a Request for Information process in December 2018.

“The FAA will be able to advance the safe integration of drones into our nation’s airspace from these technology companies’ knowledge and expertise on remote identification,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

This initial group will support the FAA in developing technology requirements for other companies to develop applications needed for Remote ID. The applications will provide drone identification and location information to safety and security authorities while in flight.

The technology is being developed simultaneously with the proposed Remote ID rule. Application requirements will be announced when the final rule is published. The FAA will then begin accepting applications for entities to become Remote ID suppliers. The FAA will provide updates when other entities can apply to become qualified Remote ID USS on FAA.gov.

Drones are a fast-growing segment of the transportation sector with nearly 1.5 million drones and 160,000 remote pilots now registered with the FAA. The agency’s ability to develop Remote ID technology simultaneously with the rule enables the FAA to continue to build on a UAS Traffic Management (UTM) system that has demonstrated global leadership through the small UAS rule and the implementation of the Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC), which automates the application and approval process for most UAS operators to obtain airspace authorizations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has important registration information for drone recreational flyers who registered in the FAADroneZone before December 12, 2017. Your registration has been automatically extended until December 12, 2020.

Why Was My Registration Extended?
The National Defense Authorization Act for 2018 restored the FAA’s registration rule with respect to model aircraft and recreational flying. If you registered prior to December 12, 2017, and did not request to have your registration information deleted, the FAA extended the expiration date until December 12, 2020, which is three years from the rule restoration date. If you requested a refund of registration fees, you would have had to re-register again after December 12, 2017. Therefore, your expiration date would now also be December 12, 2020, or later. At this time you can retain your registration number. 

What Should I Do Now?

• You do not need to do anything to extend your registration expiration date, this was done automatically.
• To print an updated registration card: Login to the FAADroneZone, select the Recreational Flyer Dashboard, and select Print. 

When Will I Need to Renew My Registration?

• The FAA will send out a registration renewal email notification 180 days prior to your registration expiration date.
• When your registration renewal is available, your FAADroneZone dashboard will include an option to “Renew.”
• Please note: You cannot renew earlier than 180 days prior to the registration expiration date. No third-party vendor can renew your registration for you at this time.

How much does it cost to renew/register?
$5 through the FAADroneZone.

Do I need to register each drone/aircraft?
If you are registering as a Recreational Flyer, you only register once and use the same registration number on all drones that you own and intend on using for recreational flying. If you are trying to register under Part 107, then you will register each drone individually and each drone will get a separate registration number.