axpect a vertical
congestion

; by Clarissa Kurniawan

Helijet has been providing helicopter air medical evacuation charters for the
B.C. Ambulance Service since 1998. cL Arisa KURNIAWAN PHOTO

Before eVTOLs can be used as air taxis by the general public, air ambulance
services will be among the first users . COURTESY: CANADIAN ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY

Port Mellon P
Gambier Anvil et
Island on

go towards air ambulance services. courTESY: CHRIS HOWE, S)

Iron Bay

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roads,” read a 2020 report by the air mobility consortium. Howe said. “But it’s more important that this technology ;
The priority market for the uses of eVTOL will go to helps everyone and save lives and really make impacts on E Finer one
— medical emergency sector as _ society.” orth Prone
1: it is quicker than ambulances. As Canada aims to become carbon neutral by 2050, couver pulsemte Park
h q y
a) important t e Second in line will be Transport Canada says research and development for elec- UIE X=) ey
rst uses of this search and rescue, carrying _ trically driven aircraft is rapidly gaining traction, particu- Endowment oy i
crews into challenging places, larly in the eVT'OL market. However, the ministry has yet “ee
chnology really that might be unaccessible by _ to develop regulatory standards for such aircraft.
airplanes. “The aircraft certification framework under the Cana- |
) people. We want Eventually,eVTOL willbe dian Aviation Regulations does allow, however, [Transport sen :
lemonstrate that used not only to ferry passen- Canada] to certify new and emerging technologies for :
: hel gers, but also for carrying which standards do not exist or are still under develop- Richmpng
51s meant to he p large-scale cargo deliver- ment,” said a Transport Canada spokesperson via email.
‘vone, not just the ies to remote regions across “This is done by developing Special Conditions —
y : "4 Canada, especially in areas Airworthiness to bridge the gap and address where the
rich. that are plagued with poor standards have not kept up with the pace of technology.”
— CHRIS HOWE food security. Howe said, Once the federal government systems and regulations are
LEAD OPERATIONS OFFICER eVTOL might be used for established, the consortium will conduct a demonstration
personal air taxis transport- flight from Vancouver General Hospital to Royal Jubilee White Rock
— ing people from one location Hospital in Victoria, B.C. IL
to another within a city. Meanwhile, the consortium will conduct route testing Proposed eVTOL toutes. Blaine

“Personal taxis are somewhat useful and save time,”

with drones around the Vancouver Island region.