{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Travel Tech Podcast","title":"What’s Actually Stopping Air Taxis From Taking Off","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2907,"description":"The US is about to publish rules that let drones fly beyond line of sight routinely — here's what that unlocks.Part 108, the FAA's upcoming rulemaking for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, is set to change the economics of commercial drone flight. For the first time, operators will have a clear regulatory path to fly without visual observers — making routine, scalable drone operations commercially viable.Kraettli L. Epperson, Co-Founder and CEO of Vigilant Aerospace, has spent years building the detect-and-avoid systems that make this possible. His focus isn't the drone itself — it's the invisible layer of data, sensors, and safety logic that allows autonomous aircraft to share airspace without introducing unacceptable collision risk.This episode unpacks what Part 108 actually enables, why detect-and-avoid is the gating technology, and what still needs to happen before drones — and eventually air taxis — can operate at scale.What You’ll LearnDetect-and-avoid is the gating factor for scale: Autonomous flight is limited not by hardware, but by the ability to safely manage shared airspace.BVLOS is where real commercial value begins: Moving beyond visual line of sight unlocks scalable use cases, but requires regulatory approval and robust safety systems.Airspace awareness depends on data fusion: Combining multiple data sources—transponders, radar, telemetry—is essential to build a reliable picture of the sky.Non-cooperative aircraft create real risk: Not every aircraft broadcasts its position, requiring fallback systems like radar and acoustic detection.Regulation defines what’s commercially viable: FAA frameworks like Part 107 and upcoming Part 108 directly shape what operators can and cannot do.Routine operations require predictability: Businesses invest when operations become repeatable, not just technically possible.Autonomy is an infrastructure problem: The future of aviation depends on invisible systems coordinating decisions in real time, not...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/LxpvuNpWwfSGFL1KA1WhoZf9L55ykAqb5rgjXNFqi3c/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mY2Yz/ZjA5OGE1ZmEyMTk4/ODJkYmU1YjhlYjRk/YTMzNC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}