Hanneke Weitering
Science & Technology Editor
Hanneke Weitering is a writer and editor with AIN covering advanced air mobility and new flight technologies. She became an aviation journalist and joined the AIN team in the summer of 2022 after reporting on spaceflight and astronomy for six years at Space.com. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in science, health, and environmental reporting at New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She is now based in Seattle near Boeing Field and spends her free time exploring nature in the Pacific Northwest.
Latest from Hanneke Weitering
FutureFlight
Joby Starts Testing eVTOL Propeller in World’s Largest Wind Tunnel Facility
Joby Aviation has begun wind tunnel testing with one of its eVTOL aircraft propellers in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamic Complex at NASA's Ames Research Center in California.
FutureFlight
The AirCraft Company Unveils Wheelchair-Accessible, Hybrid-Electric Regional Airplane
The AirCraft Company, a new start-up based in Wichita, Kansas, has revealed its plans to produce a hybrid-electric, 30-seat regional airliner called the Pangea SY30J.
FutureFlight
Ameriflight Plans to Purchase 35 Rhaegal Cargo Drones from Sabrewing
In its latest move toward adopting autonomous cargo transport operations, Ameriflight has provisionally agreed to purchase up to 35 Rhaegal-A VTOL cargo drones from Sabrewing Aircraft Company.
FutureFlight
NASA’s X-57 Maxwell Electric Airplane Passes Critical Thermal Tests
Engineers at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland have successfully completed thermal testing of the X-57’s cruise motor controllers.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Wisk and South East Queensland Officials Envision Autonomous eVTOL Operations in Australia
Wisk Aero and the South East Queensland Council of Mayors have published a new white paper describing the opportunities and benefits that advanced air mobility (AAM) can bring to the Australian region.
FutureFlight
Joby Completes FAA Means of Compliance for eVTOL Aircraft Type Certification
Joby Aviation says it has notched another major milestone on the path to type certification for its five-seat eVTOL air taxi vehicle.
FutureFlight
FAA Issues Experimental Airworthiness Certificate for Universal Hydrogen’s Dash 8 Testbed
The FAA has granted Universal Hydrogen an experimental airworthiness certificate, giving the California-based company the green light to proceed with the first test flight of its hydrogen-powered De Havilland Dash 8-300 testbed.
FutureFlight
Ryse Plans First Deliveries of the Recon Personal eVTOL in Q3 This Year
Ryse Aero Technologies intends to begin deliveries of its Recon personal eVTOL in Q3 of 2023 after securing nearly 100 preorders in the last month.
FutureFlight
Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race Postponed Indefinitely
Despite an “encouraging” response from potential competitors in the new Pulitzer Electric Aircraft Race, the U.S. National Aeronautic Association has decided to postpone the event to a date that has yet to be determined.
FutureFlight
Skyway and Moonware Partner on Automated Ground Infrastructure for eVTOL Operations
Skyway Technologies has teamed with Moonware to help prepare vertiports and other ground infrastructure for the impending arrival of next-generation aircraft such as eVTOL air taxis.
FutureFlight On The Radar
GAO Report Calls for Clarity on Tax Exemptions for AAM Aircraft
The U.S. Government Accountability Office wants Congress to clearly define AAM aircraft in the tax codes.
FutureFlight
Brazilian Airline Orders Eco Caravan Upgrades from Ampaire
Azul Conecta, Brazil's largest operator of Cessna Grand Caravans, has provisionally ordered up to six Eco Caravan hybrid-electric conversion kits from Ampaire.
FutureFlight
Opener Aims To Begin Taking Orders for the BlackFly Personal eVTOL This Year
Opener, the Canadian start-up behind the BlackFly personal eVTOL aircraft, says it is on track to begin collecting orders from customers this year.
FutureFlight
Ameriflight Orders 20 Autonomous Cargo Airplanes from Natilus
The Dallas-based Part 135 cargo airline says it is eyeing the Nautilus Kona, an unpiloted short-haul feeder aircraft, to support its expedited supply-chain services.
FutureFlight
Vertical Flight Society's H2eVTOL Council Spawns New Hydrogen Propulsion Advocacy Group
The Vertical Flight Society’s H2eVTOL Council has spun off into a new independent nonprofit organization known as the Hysky Society.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Wind Gusts Around City Buildings Could Threaten Small Aircraft
Hybrid eVTOL configurations with both a fixed wing and multiple rotors are best at dealing with wind gusts when flying in urban areas, researchers found.
FutureFlight
Private Jet Group Vista Invests in Swiss eVTOL Developer Dufour Aerospace
Swiss eVTOL developer Dufour Aerospace says it has closed a Series B funding round with a new investment from the private charter flight operator Vista Global Holding.
FutureFlight
Vertical Receives Payment for First VX4 eVTOL Aircraft Deliveries in Japan
Vertical Aerospace says it has secured a pre-delivery payment from Japanese trading and investment conglomerate Marubeni Corporation for 25 VX4 eVTOL aircraft, making Marubeni Vertical’s first customer in Asia to back its VX4 orders with a down payment.
FutureFlight
NFT Plans On-Demand Air Taxi Services With Its Aska ‘Flying SUV’
Initially billed as a "flying SUV" for wealthy individuals, NFT's Aska drive-and-fly eVTOL vehicle could be used for air taxi operations as early as 2026.
FutureFlight
Mexican Airline Start-up Orders 30 Eviation Alice Electric Commuter Airplanes
Aerus, a new regional carrier, plans to use the nine-seat, fully electric commuter aircraft for “middle-mile” travel in northern Mexico.
FutureFlight
Supernal Turns to Microsoft For IT Tools to Develop and Build eVTOL Aircraft
The company announced it will use Microsoft's Azure cloud computing platform for autonomous flight simulations and the HoloLens 2 mixed-reality headset for vehicle manufacturing and maintenance.
FutureFlight
Ryse eVTOL Aircraft Takes Flight at Consumer Electronics Show
Ryse Aero Technologies' Recon ultralight personal aircraft just became the first eVTOL to fly at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
FutureFlight
Horizon Aircraft Achieves First Hover Tests of Cavorite X5 eVTOL Prototype
The Canadian start-up has successfully completed the first hover tests of its half-scale Cavorite X5 eVTOL prototype.
FutureFlight
Car Maker Stellantis Will Mass Produce Archer’s Midnight eVTOL Air Taxi
The automotive manufacturer will mass produce Archer's Midnight eVTOL air taxi at a new facility in Georgia and will also provide $150 million in fresh capital.
Aircraft
NASA's Retired SOFIA Flying Telescope Heads to Museum
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) will be immortalized at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
FutureFlight
Beta Partners With eVTOL Safety Researchers for 50-foot Battery Drop Test
The eVTOL aircraft battery pack survived the 50-foot drop without any damage as part of safety evaluations conducted by the U.S. National Institute for Aviation Research.
FutureFlight
NASA Crash Tests eVTOL Concept Cabin to Study Passenger Safety
An eVTOL aircraft cabin concept loaded with six crash-test dummies appeared to have been mostly destroyed in the experiment.
FutureFlight
Air One Personal eVTOL Aircraft Aces First Transition Flight Test
Air, an Israeli start-up developing a personal eVTOL aircraft called Air One, achieved its first transition flight on December 18.
FutureFlight On The Radar
FAA Issues Proposed Airworthiness Criteria for Archer's Midnight eVTOL Aircraft
The FAA published its notice of proposed airworthiness criteria for Archer’s eVTOL, called Midnight, in the Federal Register on December 20. The agency is seeking public comments on the proposals by Jan. 19, 2023.
FutureFlight
Another Pivotal Year for Advanced Air Mobility Draws to a Close
The past 12 months have seen new aircraft taking to the air for the first time, and also progress with ground-breaking propulsion systems and the infrastructure needed to support new types of air transportation.
