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电动垂直起降（eVTOL）飞行器开发商LIFT宣布与直升机旅行社Charm Aviation签订意向书（LOI）在2023年于纽约引入载人eVTOL提供个人飞行服务。
Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developerLIFT Aircraft has announced that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with helicopter tour agency Charm Aviation to bring a new personal flight service with passenger eVTOL to New York City as early as 2023.
乘客们能够在一小时内学会如何操作LIFT的半自主化HEXA电动垂直起降飞行器，然后便可以独自驾驶飞机进行空中游览，无需飞行员证书。根据美国联邦航空局（FAA）规定，该飞行器的飞行仅限于人流稀少的飞行区和不受控制的空域。该计划将沿着纽约市滨水区开发LIFT垂直机场，允许进入曼哈顿周围达1300英尺的“G级”目视飞行规则（VFR）走廊。
Passengers can learn to operate LIFT’s semi-autonomous HEXA eVTOL aircraft in under an hour, and then solo pilot the aircraft on aerial tour flights, all without the need for a pilot’s license. As per FAA regulations, flights are restricted to uncrowded flyover areas and uncontrolled airspace. Plans are in place to develop LIFT vertiports along New York City’s waterfront areas, granting access to the “Class G”, Visual Flight Rules (VFR) corridor extending up to 1,300 feet around Manhattan.
LIFT执行董事Matt Chasen表示，“纽约市世界上直升机旅行和空中出租车操作最大的市场之一，并且我们希望该区域也能够成为下一世代城市空中交通最大的市场之一。我们很高兴能够与纽约最大直升机运营商的拥有者之一合作，将LIFT引入该区域。”
“New York is one of the largest markets for helicopter tour and air taxi operations in the world, and we expect the region will be one of the biggest markets for next generation, urban air mobility as well,” said LIFT CEO Matt Chasen. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the owners of one of the largest helicopter operators in New York to bring LIFT to the region.”
据该协议，双方将建立一个获得LIFT独家许可的合资企业，在纽约市地区运营。LIFT和Charm也已达成协议，预订100台HEXA电动垂直起降飞行器，部署至各LIFT垂直机场。在未来五年时间里于纽约市地区共同进行开发。
The agreement will see the parties establish a joint venture with exclusive license from LIFT to operate in the greater NYC area. LIFT and Charm have also agreed to a pre-order for 100 HEXA eVTOL aircraft, which they intend to deploy to multiple LIFT vertiports, which they plan to jointly develop in the greater NYC area over the course of the next five years.
Charm Aviation董事长Caitlyn Ephraim表示，“我们最畅销的直升机旅游航班持续时间在12-15分钟之间，所以HEXA的飞行时间非常适合自驾、休闲飞行。这就像“驾驶”赛格威游览一般，但是在空中会有更好的视角，也更有乐趣。这些小型电子飞行器受地理位置限制，将他们限制在预先确定的飞行区域和走廊，无直接废气排放，也比直升机更安静，所以有助于减少我们现今操作的直升机所带来的噪音足迹。我已经迫不及待在自由女神像周围飞行HEXA。我相信这就是直升机飞行市场的未来。”
“Our top-selling helicopter tour flights last between 12 to 15 minutes, so HEXA’s flight time is a perfect fit for self-piloted, recreational flights” said Charm Aviation President Caitlyn Ephraim. “These are like segway tours, but in the air – with a much better view and much more fun. These small, electric aircraft are “geo-fenced,” to keep them confined to pre-defined flight areas and corridors, have zero direct emissions, and are much quieter than helicopters, so will help to reduce the noise footprint of the fleets of helicopters we operate today. I can’t wait to fly HEXA around the Statue of Liberty. We think this is the future of the helicopter tour market.”
HEXA也能为公共机关所使用，缩短一半的应急时间。HEXA已经获得美国军队的初始适航认证，将由军队部署作为一个新型载人及无人机平台。
HEXA can also be used by public agencies to accelerate first response time by as much as 50%. Having already earned its initial airworthiness certification from the USAF, HEXA is anticipated to be deployed by the military as a new manned and unmanned aerial platform.
两家公司与市官员和美联航合作在未来几个月选择首个纽约垂直机场地点，以在2023年末启动首次试飞。LIFT之前已经在德克萨斯州奥斯汀地区的计划地点获得FAA认证。
The two companies will work alongside city officials and the FAA to select the first NY vertiport site in the coming months, with the goal of launching initial trial flights in the city beginning by the end of 2023. LIFT has previously received FAA approval for a planned location in the Austin, TX area.