Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Joby Aviation has begun the fourth of five stages to receive the&nbsp;FAA Part 135 air carrier certificate it needs to launch ride-sharing services with&nbsp;its all-electric, four-passenger eVTOL passenger aircraft in 2024.&nbsp;The California-based company reported the milestone on March 15 as it continues work to also earn both type and production certification for the four-passenger model.
After filing an initial application for a Part 135 certificate in June 2021, Joby completed the second stage in August, which included&nbsp;the submission of a complete package of manuals. The third and fourth stages involve FAA review and approval of manuals and FAA observation of the company performing operations to ensure full regulatory compliance.
Joby entered the fourth stage of the process last week, as FAA representatives began to observe Joby’s initial cadre of pilot instructors demonstrating&nbsp;mastery of training and operational procedures using the company’s manuals and training program.&nbsp;The fifth phase involves FAA final approval and issuance of the Part 135 certificate, which the company hopes to have in hand later this year so that it can start trial operations with existing fixed-wing aircraft and/or rotorcraft.
“Our aspiration is to not just build and certify a revolutionary aircraft&nbsp;but to operate a commercial passenger service that saves people time with minimal impact on the environment,” said Bonny Simi, head of air operations and people at Joby. “Achieving Part 135 certification unlocks the ability to do that, and we’re moving through the process ahead of&nbsp;schedule.”
Joby has not commented on the effect to its schedules of a February 16 accident involving the first of two eVTOL prototypes during flight testing in California. A March 8 U.S. National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report on the accident said the aircraft (designated JAS4-2) experienced an unspecified component failure over an uninhabited area during remotely piloted flight testing. Investigators reported no injuries but said the aircraft suffered substantial damage with a fire breaking out on the ground. 
Joby in January added a second prototype to the flight testing program as part of the work it is doing with the&nbsp;U.S. Air Force's Agility Prime program to evaluate possible military applications for eVTOL aircraft.
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Gregory Polek

Joby is working to secure an FAA Part 135 operators certificate for the four-passenger eVTOL it intends to use for ridesharing services from 2024. (Image: Joby Aviation)

Joby Reaches Fourth of Five Stages in FAA Part 135 Certification Process

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