Page 1 - Aerotech News and Review, March 5, 2021

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A look at NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility

helicopter tests

NASA photographs by Ken Ulbrich
NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility National Cam- on UAM approach procedures and helipad markings
paign, referred to as NC for short, is one step closer that will support research flight tests,” said Starr Ginn,
to its vision of a new type of air transportation system. AAM National Campaign lead.
NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration or The data collected during these flights will be used
FAA are working together to make this a reality. in developing lessons learned in operational proce-
The NC Integrated Dry Run tests, having completed dures.
their first phase Dec. 2-4, 2020, will continue with The final round of dry run testing will collect even
the next phase in March with a Bell OH-58C Kiowa more flight characteristics data and finalize the Na-
helicopter, provided by Flight Research Inc. in Mo- tional Campaign flight test infrastructure development
jave, Calif., to act as a stand-in advanced air mobility prior to deployment and flights with industry partners.
vehicle.
The FAA and Flight Research Inc. test pilots are This will also prepare the National Campaign for
flying different types of maneuvers with the helicop- the next step in the process – the developmental test Top: A Bell OH-58C Kiowa helicopter provided by Flight Research Inc. of Mojave,
ter at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in with partner Joby Aviation planned for spring 2021. Calif., flies at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., the
Edwards, Calif., to help assess procedures and infra- Testing with Joby’s AAM vehicle will include ac- first week of December 2020. The Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign
structure while also developing a data baseline for tivities to prepare for NC-1 in 2022, such as designing project used the helicopter as a stand-in advanced air mobility vehicle to develop
a data baseline for future flight testing. Above: A Flight Research Inc.-owned Bell
future industry partnership flight testing. flight scenarios for the NC-1 participants to fly, exer- OH-58C Kiowa helicopter sits on a helipad at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research
“These initial flights enabled feedback in two key cising range deployment, and data collection protocols Center in Edwards, Calif.
areas of Urban Air Mobility operations: pilot feedback across operational safety use cases.

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