The former acting head of the FAA is now overseeing safety at a new electric aircraft company — and it's a good sign for takeoff. Meet Archer's Midnight eVTOL.
One of the highest authorities on aircraft safety in the US just placed his bets on startup electric planemaker Archer Aviation, representing how close the world could be to this new era of air travel.
In June, former acting head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Billy Nolen, stepped away from the regulator to become Archer's chief safety officer.
Plus, he helped write the framework for eVTOL certification and came up with the FAA program "Innovate 28," which hopes to see thousands of electric aircraft flying throughout the US by the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Fortunately for Archer, that means it is likely now a few steps ahead of the competition: "I don't sign up for losing teams," Nolen told Insider at the Paris Air Show in June.
This is because the agency is still implementing the exact framework for how to certify eVTOLs as the helicopter-plane hybrid falls under a category known as "powered lift" instead of the traditional "airplane" — something that has delayed several US eVTOL programs.
The position of the propellers on top of the wings is important for reducing emissions and noise.
Archer Aviation
This is particularly helpful in places like New York where city residents have long complained of noisy helicopters flying overhead at all hours of the day and night, like HeliFlite and Blade.
Lowering noise and carbon pollution is a big draw for airlines that are hoping to get into the growing urban air mobility market.
Archer Aviation
UAM is the use of low-altitude aircraft to transport people and goods between cities and rural areas, and has been growing in popularity as a solution to traffic congestion.
While Midnight checks these boxes, it is also favorable because it is optimally designed to fly between city centers and airports in 10-20 minutes.
Archer Aviation
Between flights, Midnight only takes 12 minutes to recharge thanks to its powertrain.
The aircraft's time efficiency is extremely important — especially as the UAM market is expected to grow to over $23 billion by 2035 and companies need to keep up.
Moreover, Midnight is designed for winged flight instead of just hovering – making it more efficient.
Taylor Rains/Insider
A spokesperson told Insider that hovering drains the battery faster than forward flight, so the winged design speeds that transition up to give the aircraft more range.
As far as affordability, Archer CEO Adam Goldstein told Insider that pricing will be around $100 per seat — similar to an Uber.
In early 2021, United Airlines purchased $1 billion worth of Midnight eVTOLs and since announced the first proposed route between Manhattan and its Newark airport hub.
Archer and United's route between downtown Manhattan and Newark Liberty International Airport, one of its primary hubs.
Archer Aviation
The airline soon after announced the second route between Chicago and the city's O'Hare International Airport. Both routes are expected to cut out driving, saving customers hours in traffic.
Although United has yet to announce a cabin design, Archer showed off its Midnight interior at the Paris Air Show.
Taylor Rains/Insider
According to a company spokesperson, Midnight was disassembled into three pieces for transport to Paris via ship and then reassembled onsite.
Inside, there were five seats — including four for passengers and one for the pilot.
I sat in one of the seats of the Archer Aviation Midnight.
Taylor Rains/Insider
The seats had a space-like look with a curved back and seatbelt.
Equipped at each seat were a wireless phone charger, cup holders, and cubbies.
Taylor Rains/Insider
Although it looked like a tight space from the outside, it wasn't too bad once you sat inside.
To create a more personalized experience, Archer has included a welcome screen on each seat that displays the assigned customer's name.
Taylor Rains/Insider
The screen also includes information about the destination and takeoff time, while the wing provides some added privacy.
A spokesperson told Insider that the idea is that people will eventually be able to call a Midnight eVTOL via an app and then guest information will connect to the screen.
Meanwhile, the large windows will give people great views of the world outside, especially those flying out of Manhattan.
Taylor Rains/Insider
And, there is room for passenger luggage in the aft cargo compartment. But it's not a huge space, so customers may need to keep that in mind when packing.
Archer is planning to build its fleet of electric planes at a 350,000-square-foot facility in Georgia, producing up to 650 per year.
The proposed Archer Aviation manufacturing facility is pictured in a rendering.
Archer Aviation
Currently, Midnight's demonstrator aircraft are being built in California, but production is set to move to the East Coast in 2024.
The long-term plan is to expand the facility to 800,000 square feet, which is estimated to produce up to 2,300 eVTOLs per year.
While Midnight is one of the most promising upcoming eVTOLs, the new type of air travel has created some safety concerns among customers.
However, Nolen told Insider that once Midnight is certified, it "will be the equivalent of flying a Boeing 787 or an Airbus A350."
Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
AP
Certification requires rigorous testing and aircraft demonstrations, and it can take years to complete — especially when working with a complicated category of aircraft.
He contended that Midnight is "in many ways safer" because it doesn't deal with hydraulics or pressurization, and its propulsion system is simple with few moving parts and many redundancies.
EVTOLs are being built in a similar manner to ensure if one motor goes down, there are backups to keep the craft flying.
Midnight's one caveat is its single-pilot operation, which could impose increased safety risks.
Taylor Rains/Insider
The eVTOL will have a single pilot at the controls rather than two, which differs from passenger planes and means there is one less redundancy onboard.
An Archer spokesperson told Insider that the controls are intuitive with autonomous features built in, like holding the inputted hover altitude.
Granted, Midnight is a much smaller and less-complicated craft compared to commercial jetliners — but it's still probably bigger than people expect.
Taylor Rains/Insider
"It's always been cool seeing pictures of [Midnight], but seeing it in person brings it to life and makes people realize how big it actually is," the spokesperson said. "I think the scale of it helps people wrap their heads around flying in it."
While Archer is clearly turning heads, it is facing strong competition from other startups.
Volocopter's Volocity is a competitor to Archer in the eVTOL market.
Taylor Rains/Insider
Other startups include Joby Aviation, EVE, Volocopter, and AutoFlight — all of which also showed off at the air show.
