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AFWERX Director Notes Potential of eVTOL for Air Force Personnel Recovery

AFWERX Director Notes Potential of eVTOL for Air Force Personnel Recovery
An Air Force pararescue jump (PJ) expert evaluates how to load a simulated injured survivor or “Rescue Randy” into Kitty Hawk’s Heaviside vehicle as part of a personnel rescue scenario. The event demonstrated dual-use capability for civil and government applications. (Photo: Kitty Hawk)

Air Force Col. Nathan Diller, the director of the service's AFWERX innovation arm, this week noted the potential of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles for Air Combat Command personnel recovery missions. Over the summer, California-based Kitty Hawk used its Heaviside eVTOL in a medical evacuation exercise that marked the first time that AFWERX had participated in such an exercise with an eVTOL. Commercial eVTOLs face a number of hurdles, including regulatory approvals, building charging infrastructure, and airspace deconfliction…

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