SAE EPR2021017

Recent advancements of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have generated significant interest within and beyond the traditional aviation industry. One promising application for these innovative systems is in firefighting support during urban, rural, and wildland firefighting operations. Future eVTOL firefighting capabilities could include early detection and suppression, civilian rescue, and on-demand aerial deployment and extraction of firefighters.

Unsettled Issues Concerning eVTOL for Rapid-response, On-demand Firefighting identifies the challenges to be addressed so that these capabilities and benefits could be realized at scale:

• Firefighting-specific eVTOL vehicle development

• Sense and avoid capabilities in smoke-inhibited environments

• Autonomous and remote operating capabilities

• Charging system compatibility and availability

• Operator and controller training

• Dynamic air space management

• Vehicle/fleet logistics and support

• First-responder and general public acceptance