Archer Aviation’s eVTOL aircraft could be flying above Los Angeles as early as 2026, the company announced in a recent press release.
Did anyone tell them that Santa Monica will be closing next year due to Obama?
Ed. Note: The deal to close Santa Monica was struck in 2017 during the Trump administration.
Russ Niles
For decades, residents near Santa Monica Airport have complained about noise, pollution, and safety risks, worsened by increased jet traffic. The closure is not directly Barack Obama’s fault but resulted from local concerns, legal battles, and a 2017 agreement during the Trump administration, driven by community activism and the city’s efforts to regain control of the land.
This is mostly a test post but figured I’d ask. Does Archer even have a production certified vehicle that meets it’s own mission parameters?
I think these kinds of stories are more marketing rather than near term reality. Surf Air Mobility were building a electric hybrid airplane and managed to burn thru $110 million of investors money in one year. This is the business world’s version of “A fool and his money are soon parted”. Unfortunately this time it is tax dollars for some of it.
Santa Monica also received $45 million of FAA grant money, even thou it is closing.
Lots of shady stuff going on
And none of this makes Santa Monica any less noisy. Evtol of heli or jets, its all the same.
Congrats on being the first reason to not allow replies on this new site.
“ease traffic congestion” this doesn’t really pass the smell test, does it? They mention SoFi Stadium and the Rams in the press release–exactly how cars will be removed from the highway by delivering 3 people at a time (4 seats - 1 pilot) to a Rams game?
Let’s see… The average home game had 73,000 fans. Say the vertiport has 8 pads, each capable of turning an aircraft in 30 seconds (both outrageously high, but, whatever). So, 16 loads per minute x 60 minutes per hour x 3 people per aircraft = 2880 people/hour. So, for every hour BOTH before and after a game (it requires both to take and remove a passenger), you can remove 3.9% of highway traffic.
Simultaneously, to keep this vertiport busy, and assuming an average 5 minute flight to a pickup spot, 30 seconds to turn on the other side, and 5 minutes back, and assume “minimal recharge time” = 90 seconds per trip. A single Archer can make 6 trips per hour. So, there will need to be 160 Archers in flight at all times.
See and avoid? Or are all these guys talking to ATC?
LAX, with multiple runways and in visual conditions, says 170 peak operations per hour (not simultaneously!).
I can see the smog clearing already!
Gotta question your methodology - your 3.9% assumes one person per car. I suspect that two to four persons per car is more typical, dropping the ‘benefit’ level down to around 1.3%.
No; congestion reduction is not going to be a major benefit.
But maybe getting teams back and forth to the airport?
Coming soon to a Vertiport near you?
ATC can’t handle the traffic load they have now, how is this idea going to fit into the current traffic loads? What happens if the weather is IFR?
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