The Future Of Flight Automation

In this episode of “The Future Of,” Jeff Dance interviews Mark Groden, CEO of Skyryse, to explore the advancements in flight automation. Mark shares insights on how Skyryse is transforming the aviation industry by making flight easier, safer, and more accessible through software-defined aircraft. The conversation covers the evolution of flight controls, safety enhancements, the challenges of automation, and the future of pilot training. Key innovations include intuitive digital interfaces and systems that ensure safety, even in complex flight scenarios.

The Motivation Behind Skyryse

• A Lifelong Drive: Mark Groden’s passion for aviation began in childhood and intensified after a family tragedy caused by a low-altitude pilot stall. This motivated him to address pilot error, which accounts for roughly 80 percent of fatal accidents.

• Overcoming High Hurdles: Skyryse has raised over $600 million, making it the most-capitalized private aviation company in the world, focused on fixing the industry’s core issues of complexity, cost, and safety.

Tackling Helicopters First

• The Ultimate Complexity: Helicopters were chosen as the starting point because they represent the hardest machine on the planet to operate. Automating them means mastering a superset of airplane requirements.

• SkyOS Interface: The proprietary operating system unifies flight controls into a single mode, featuring swipe-to-start, swipe-to-hover, map-based point-and-click navigation, and a four-axis control stick with full envelope protection.

• Edge-Case Resilience: SkyOS successfully performed the industry’s first fully automated autorotation (engine-out landing) to a soft touchdown over 100 times, proving reliability during extreme emergencies.

Fixing the Global Fleet and Lowering Barriers

• Retrofitting and OEMs: Rather than waiting for new eVTOL models, SkyOS is built to power the existing 400,000 airplanes and helicopters through custom-built high-force electromechanical actuators and flight computers.

• Rewriting Training: By removing the immense workload of manual stabilization, SkyOS simplifies the learning curve. This change could lower training hours required for a private license and drastically reduce student drop-out rates.

• The Autonomous Future: Software-defined flight aims to drive down the cost and difficulty of aviation, eventually opening the door for affordable, on-demand point-to-point travel and safer operations in zero-visibility conditions.