Modern tech can make flying as easy as driving, claims engineer

Nikita Ermoshkin says his start-up company’s Airhart Sling will use advanced automation and computerised controls to create a ‘car-like’ experience

Charlotte McDonald-GibsonMarch 27 2022, 1.01am BST

“We all sit down in our cars, put our phone in the stand, use the car’s existing info-tainment system to plug in a destination, follow the GPS and we’re done,” he said, comparing car travel with the considerably more cumbersome routine for flying a private aircraft.

Ermoshkin’s Los Angeles-based start-up, Airhart, has developed the Airhart Sling, a four-seater aircraft using advanced automation systems and computerised flight controls to create what he calls a “car-like experience”.

Ermoshkin got his private pilot’s licence in 2020, and was surprised at having to study flight manuals dating back to 1945 that required detailed knowledge of aerodynamics, and the lack of technology in small planes.

“It’s like starting a lawnmower on a hot day,” said the electrical and systems engineer. “My phone has more computing power than those aeroplanes.”

He is not the only innovator working to bring flying to the masses. Companies including Cirrus, Joby Aviation, and ICON Aircraft are working on variations of planes that deploy new technology to make personal flying quicker and easier.

But Ermoshkin claims the Airhart Sling is the easiest to fly yet. Rather than having a pilot manually control the rudders with foot pedals, flying is done via a joystick for steering and a lever for speed, which then communicate with the automated systems. The company is taking pre-orders and expects to deliver the first models to customers by January 2026.

The Airhart technology was tested on an aircraft in 2022, and the first test flight of the fully integrated Airhart Sling model is expected this year. The first batch of aircraft are on sale for $500,000, but the startup hopes eventually to bring the cost down to $100,000.

While getting a private pilot’s licence in the US requires at least 40 hours of flying practice, Ermoshkin said people could learn to take off and land in 15 minutes on an Airhart simulator. He envisages people using the craft for 50 to 300-mile trips, long drives that are not served by commercial airlines.

But having more people in the already crowded skies concerns some in the aviation industry.

“Reducing the amount of skill needed and knowledge needed in order to operate in such a dynamic environment is a challenge,” said Kenneth Byrnes, associate professor of aeronautical science at Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University. “It’s much more dynamic than driving the car.”

Right now, a person still has to get a full private pilot’s licence to fly the Airhart Sling. That may change, as the Federal Aviation Administration is considering amending regulations to classify planes such as the Airhart Sling as a light aircraft. That would mean a person would need a sport pilot licence, which has lower training requirements.

There are also concerns that infrastructure may struggle to keep up with the innovation.

“If there were a remarkable revolution that let ten times as many people fly, that might not be a good thing as our infrastructure would be grossly overtaxed,” said Max Trescott, host of the Aviation News Talk podcast. He cited concerns including noise pollution, parking at airports and shortages of air traffic controllers.

But the aviation experts all agreed that deploying the newest technology was crucial to make piloting small aircraft safer, with 80 per cent of accidents caused by human error.

“As you simplify the systems of the aeroplane, then that enables the pilots to have a greater focus on overall situational awareness,” said Chad Kendall, an associate professor in aviation and aerospace science at the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

And for the nervous flyer, the Airhart Sling has the ultimate backup plan: it is also equipped with a parachute.

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