A revolution in on-demand air transportation services for persons and property is on the horizon. Developing out of small, unmanned (drone) aircraft now being utilized extensively for various kinds of aerial survey operations, a race is under way to develop larger vehicles (eventually all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that will piloted initially but eventually will be unmanned and autonomous) that will be able to actually move people and goods point-to-point at low altitudes and over relatively short distances in highly congested areas, for example from urban high-rises to local airports or for the delivery of goods directly to peoples’ front doors. (A broad range of websites tracking this activity abounds—see, for example: https://transportup.com).

By way of governmental oversight (and therefore attendant legal ramifications) with respect to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) first began its support of these emerging technologies through its work on Urban Air Mobility projects, and in 2020 launched its AAM efforts “to promote flexibility and agility while fostering AAM mission success and to promote teamwork across [NASA] projects contributing to the AAM Mission.” For more information on NASA’s efforts, see: https://www.nasa.gov/aam/overview/.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also begun its own AAM activity—see https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/urban_air_mobility/.

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