The vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) of the U.S. urban air mobility (UAM) corporations Chobi Aviation flew over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, local dailies reported on the 12th.
Chobi Aviation's aircraft took off from Oakland International Airport in the afternoon, crossed San Francisco Bay at 100 mph (about 160 kilometers) and reached the vicinity of the Golden Gate Bridge in 10 minutes, heralding the air taxi era. The aircraft then returned via the Marin County hills and past Alcatraz Island. The aircraft is 14 meters wide and 7.5 meters long, with six propellers. It can carry four passengers.
JoeBen Bevirt, CEO of Chobi Aviation, said that once air taxis are commercialized, commuters will be able to cross the bay to and from work, or conveniently get to the ballpark even in traffic.
The aircraft that flew this time is the first mass-production model for commercial certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Only by passing the FAA's final verification tests with this model will authorization be granted to carry actual passengers.
Chobi Aviation plans to begin final tests within the year in which FAA-affiliated pilots will fly the mass-production model to evaluate safety. Chobi Aviation aims to establish a production system of four units per month by next year and, in the long term, to produce 500 units annually.
In Silicon Valley, if air taxis are commercialized, the expense to travel to Wine Country, about 100 kilometers from San Francisco, is estimated at $100 to $170 (about 140,000 to 250,000 won). That is similar to the amount for the premium sedan car service "Uber Black."