en.Wedoany.com Reported - Joby is advancing the certification process for its S4 air taxi. The company's head of systems engineering and certification recently stated that there is "limited work" to be completed before initiating creditable certification flight tests, and the company is "on track" to conduct its first commercial passenger flights by the end of the year.

Ife Ogunleye, Joby's head of systems engineering and certification, joined the company in 2019 after seven years at the FAA. He stated that once the company completes "several prerequisites" under Section 21.35, it can begin creditable flight tests with FAA pilots involved. Section 21.35 specifies the flight tests required for type certification. Ogunleye noted that the regulations have specific requirements for everything that must be completed, and the company has identified all requirements and is progressively fulfilling them; Joby has been working with the FAA to jointly define the agreed scope and can now begin addressing it.

Joby will also be responsible for ensuring the S4 receives approval from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) before it plans to launch operations with Virgin Atlantic. The two companies announced a commercial agreement at the Farnborough Airshow, under which Joby will initially operate air taxis between Virgin Atlantic's airport hubs in Manchester and London and nearby city centers. Ogunleye stated that the FAA "has done a fairly good job in coordinating its work with its international counterparts." He mentioned that the company is pursuing parallel certification with the CAA, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia.

Ogunleye described the relationship between Joby and the FAA as "probably one of the most positive relationships I've ever seen between an applicant and a regulator." He said the FAA is excited about the technology and concept but has also hesitated due to some novel aspects, as policies are not yet in place and there is a lack of precedent. He emphasized that "this takes time to develop, and the FAA is willing to invest that time." Meanwhile, he added that the questions posed to regulators by aircraft like the S4 are not always entirely new.

"It is a powered lift (aircraft), although it flies on its wings most of the time—so it sits between a helicopter and an airplane," Ogunleye said. "So there are some unique aspects, but overall, from a regulatory perspective, it's not completely out of this world. Since we have already been involved in powered lift programs like the (Leonardo) AW609, as well as other fly-by-wire programs introducing new technologies, it certainly falls within the scope of such projects."

Joby has conducted extensive flights, including with prototypes and the first conforming aircraft. While these flights do not directly count toward credits, they help accelerate the certification process. Ogunleye stated that flight testing is one of the most expensive parts of any program, so it requires high maturity, extensive knowledge, and a clear exit strategy before entering.

By the end of the year, three more conforming aircraft are expected to join the test fleet. Ogunleye said the company's planning for the FAA Type Inspection Authorization (TIA) will allow specific tests to be transferred between different airframes, so the company will not be limited to only certain aircraft being able to perform specific tests; these tests can be allocated to the required aircraft. He also added that destructive testing will be conducted "on structural components, not on complete conforming aircraft."

Ogunleye believes another factor boosting the company's confidence is the workforce's integration of diverse backgrounds and expertise, meaning it gains innovation and rapid prototyping capabilities from Silicon Valley, while also obtaining rigor, expertise, and experience from those who have completed entire certification programs with the FAA. "They understand the pitfalls and lessons learned and can apply them to our program." He stated that the company has excellent leadership that can unite the team and make both mindsets work together; the team has gone through the storming and norming phases and has now reached a stage of mutual respect, reliance, and appreciation.