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

Eve held&nbsp;its first advisory board meeting last month in the Portuguese capital Lisbon. The eVTOL aircraft developer took until July 6 to confirm&nbsp;details of the&nbsp;June 14-15 event, reporting that it generated valuable feedback and dialog among customers and partners about several aspects of the urban air mobility market. The event—attended by more than 20 participants representing fixed-wing and rotorcraft operators, rideshare platforms, and lessors—covered subjects including operations, services and support, aircraft performance, urban air traffic management (UATM), cabin design, and passenger journey.
"It was incredibly constructive spending those couple of days with our customers and partners who could collaborate with insights on our UAM solutions based on their experience within their respective fields,” said Eve co-CEO Andre Stein. “All the feedback gathered will contribute to the evolution and maturity of our programs, including the eVTOL, services and support, and UATM software. The result was extraordinary, reinforcing that we are on the right path with our collaborative approach toward the future of urban air mobility.”
Companies such as Republic Airways, Halo Aviation, Blade, Falko, Fahari Aviation (a subsidiary of Kenya Airways), Bristow Group, Helisul Aviação, Flapper, Helipass, Widerøe Zero, Falcon Aviation, Avantto, and others joined multiple workshops and presentations, where votes and feedback helped provide Eve with insights into the development processes.
During the event, Eve unveiled its latest, most-advanced cabin mock-up, which the company plans also to bring to this month’s Farnborough International Airshow.
Eve held its first advisory board meeting about a month after an initial public offering (IPO) that saw majority shareholder Embraer and special purpose acquisition company Zanite raise $377 million in proceeds. Speaking with FutureFlight&nbsp;after a ceremonial bell ringing at the New York Stock Exchange on May 12, Stein stressed the importance of what he characterized as an approach to development that differs from other eVTOL startups that rush to produce and fly a prototype to stimulate interest from financiers. Eve, conversely, will adopt a more considered tack to ensure a smooth path toward certification, he explained.
Under the auspices of Embraer, Eve recently received certification process approval from Brazilian civil aviation authority ANAC, validating the “building blocks” the company has inherited from a half-century of airplane development. The company plans to fly a proof-of-concept vehicle this year, but perhaps as important, it plans to accelerate internal development and increase the number of test rigs it uses to validate design assumptions.
“The important thing is to proceed in the right order and not necessarily rush to fly something that’s just flashy, but to really understand what’s behind it—the fly-by-wire, the control laws that make the aircraft fly,” said Stein. “The final prototype will be on time for our entry into service in 2026.”

Gregory Polek

Eve sees broad applications for its eVTOL vehicle, including intracity operations in cities such as Madrid. (Image: Embraer)

Eve Gathers Urban Air Mobility Expertise At First Advisory Board Meeting

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