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e-organizations<br />
Hybrid-Electric Aircraft<br />
Electric Propulsion & Innovation<br />
Committee<br />
tThe General Aviation<br />
Manufacturers Association<br />
(GAMA) has be at the centre of<br />
the world’s most exciting<br />
aerospace opportunities:<br />
Hybrid-Electric Aircraft.<br />
Through the GAMA Electric<br />
Propulsion & Innovation<br />
Committee (EPIC) GAMA has been<br />
working with the world’s leading space manufactures to address dress challenges<br />
and opportunities which will allow<br />
for incredible new developments<br />
in<br />
aero-<br />
aerospace.<br />
There is no question that one of the most exciting potentials<br />
exists in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL)<br />
aircraft. There isn’t simply one factor alone that is enabling<br />
this new industry but rather the combined availability of technology,<br />
public perception, regulatory policy and a recognition<br />
by capital markets of the tremendous opportunities.<br />
The work of the GAMA EPIC<br />
includes addressing the requirements for the proper design<br />
of electric aircraft, including eVTOL, working with regulators<br />
to bring about new levels of simplified operation<br />
and dealing with infrastructure issues. Currently the GAMA<br />
EPIC is working in great detail with the U.S. Federal Aviation<br />
Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety<br />
Agency (EASA) to assure the design requirements are appropriate<br />
for these vehicles but do not add unnecessary burden.<br />
In the last year, the regulatory environment in these areas<br />
has developed to a very mature stage which is allowing<br />
those involved to move forward with much lower risk that the<br />
safety regulators will raise new concerns as designs mature.<br />
The EPIC is very heavily engaged now in defining new levels<br />
of automation for operations within the traditional aviation<br />
airspace. To make profit with eVTOL designs, there is agreement<br />
that these activities will need to occur at a large scale<br />
in high-density airspace. The work of the GAMA EPIC in defining<br />
what these kinds of operations will look like is of critical<br />
importance to the eVTOL community. If you wish to be a<br />
part of the GAMA EPIC, please contact me to discuss your<br />
level of interest.<br />
Greg Bowles<br />
GAMA’s Vice President for Global Innovation & Policy,<br />
Manager of GAMA Electric Propulsion Innovation<br />
Committee (EPIC)<br />
For more information on GAMA and<br />
the EPIC, contact Greg Bowles at<br />
gbowles@gama.aero<br />
or +32 (2)0 550 39 00<br />
32 e Flight Journal 2 / <strong>2017</strong>
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