Opens Road to FAA Approval for Production

Skyryse announced that it has been granted a Special Airworthiness Certificate for its Skyryse One helicopter. This moves the aircraft one step closer to FAA certification and production launch.

Skyryse One, built on a Robinson R66 frame, made its public debut in February 2024. It is an IFR-capable, triply-redundant, fly-by-wire helicopter that operates with a simple swipe on its touchscreen. The helicopter replaces traditional mechanical controls with a four-axis control stick, like that of an F-35.

The company claims that the Skyryse One will be priced at half the cost of other IFR-certified choppers.

“The Skyryse One might look familiar on the outside, but the similarities to any other aircraft end there. Since the invention of vertical flight, pilots have juggled four controls simultaneously, using both hands and both feet just to keep it airborne,” commented Dr. Mark Groden, founder and CEO of Skyryse. “Until today.”

These capabilities rely on Skyryse’s SkyOS with the fully digitized SkySentinel fly-by-wire backbone. The company began development and flight tests of the system in 2016 with the goal of improving safety and simplicity of flight. It is designed to be a universal operating system for any aircraft, including helicopters and airplanes.

SkyOS utilizes deterministic AI-designed software. The single display, containing everything from controls to circuit breakers, features 3D synthetic vision with terrain alerting and dynamic envelope protection. This provides enhanced awareness and keeps the rotorcraft stable at all times, even without pilot input. It also automatically responds to power failures by entering autorotation, managing glide, and landing while maintaining pilot control.

"Today's milestone represents another important step in our mission of making flight simpler and safer for everyone," Groden expressed. "We appreciate the continued cooperation and partnership with the FAA as we work toward our shared goal of eliminating fatalities in aviation."

Leading investors, including Fidelity Management & Research Company, Monashee Investment Management, and Positive Sum, have generated over $290 million for Skyryse’s development and research.

FMI: www.skyryse.com