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Home My WebLink AboutSS2 - Preparing for the Implementation of Advanced Air Mobility - PowerPointPREPARING FOR ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY - ISSUES FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Peter J. Kirsch June 24, 2025 Advanced Air Mobility - Considered by FAA to bring "a new era of aviation" AAM is a transportation system comprised of new types of aircraft, infrastructure and regulations I 11 ■ Terminology Aircraft Types: ■ unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) � • - • M - Electric Vertical Take -Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, such as air taxis Infrastructure: •Vertiport'- an airport, or special area for small electric and hydrogen VTOL relatively short interurban flights. I 11 set aside at an airport, aircraft making ■ Air Taxis This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY -SA -NC too This afternoon's presentation Regulatory structure Role of local government too Technological and regulatory status Initial test vehicles are in operation Commercial may be possible within 24 months Pressure to have commercial operations in time for LA Olympics 2028 I 11 40 Basis. legal principles • Federal government (FAA) has plenary authority over airspace and regulation of aircraft Airport proprietor has shared authority with FAA over on - airport land uses • Local zoning cannot regul an airport is established 0 od ate aeronautical land uses — once 7 Federal government's (probable) legal structure The Horseless Carriage approach Operations: integrate into existing system and legal framework (not entirely new system) Vehicles: apply same principles as in existing aircraft certification Pilots: to be determined; USAir Force examining Facilities: to be determined; no one in charge yet too Two regulatory paths There are two regulatory paths required to enable AAM... LES too ... and both are evolving (slowly). ■ unknowns Regulation of airspace below 500 feet Flight tracks —visual and IFR Adapting to AAM business models Uber of the air Short haul intercity (under 250 miles) Airport access Will FAA regulate vertiports Optimal vertiport ownership structure A- - 10 Operations versus facilities • Federal legal structure focused on - Airspace Vehicles Pilots Safety of facility design Limited federal interest or authority over — Facility siting and location ■ Facility amenities j ■ Utilities (electricity supply) too I-r What this means -- Local governments can regulate when, where, how, whether vertiports are established Once a vertiport exists, local authority becomes very limited Wairnart •C . N I MAIL f t too fpjar - L _ �i 12 Local governments generally • Preemption limits power... But fixed locations for takeoff/landing means municipalities can have power through zoning and land use - Other major considerations Noise issues Economic development implications Infrastructure needs, utility easements, etc. Power, power, power 11 WHAT CAN WE DO • Need to understand use cases Much speculation Different use cases implicate different legal schemes — Midrange (under 250 miles) operations at normal air traffic altitudes Short range (10-25 miles) operations under normal aircraft altitudes Airport -to -airport Airport-to-UAM facility Point-to-point Packages/cargo vs passengers too • r. Ground infrastructure (vertiplaces): Vertihubs, vertiports, and vertistops veI Vertiport lap 0 Considerable professional literature • FAA vertiport design guidelines Engineering, planning guidance from professional organizations Different models — depending upon use case Wherc Mart What use cases do you expect? How do you want to accommodate different use cases? Zoning-_ = ANIt 8 L- ►f exception Special use/ tionp Specific districts - _r Facility setbacks, mitigation- - Environmentalconsequences conseq uences - Cannot regulate operations but zoning can be tailored to g p g different use cases :R 1!�777- �C A-j W. Sitinand local land use considerations r� 7 Nearby land uses Support facilities and ancillary development Ground access Electricity infrastructure Noise — overflights and ground operations NIMBY Design, facility safety regulation Regulatory process Preemption after vertiport established too 19 e away questions to consider When? Do existing ordinances allow vertiports? Check existing definitions — heliport, airport, etc. Is there need for a new zoning category? Is an overlay zone appropriate? Who has expertise to review technical submissions? How much regulation is appropriate? 11 WO Discussion 0ft1% KAPLAN KIRSCH For more information about AAM, visit newportbeachca.gov/aam 0a1% KAPLAN KIRSCH