From: AlleyCat <katt@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: alt.global-warming,alt.fan.rush-limbaugh,can.politics,alt.politics.liberalism,alt.politics.democrats,alt.politics.usa.republican
Subject: Re: So Much Written... So Little Said
Date: Sat, 23 Aug 2025 22:24:37 -0500
Organization: AlleyCat Computing, Inc.
On Fri, 22 Aug 2025 21:38:33 -0700, Alan says...
>
> On 2025-08-22 18:44, AlleyCat wrote:
> >
> > Question:
> > Joby Aircraft is building an eVTOL. They state that the range of the aircraft is 100 miles with a 50 mile reserve.
>
> Where did you ask this question?
My grandson's PTA meeting.
> > Question:
> > According to FAA rules, will that aircraft be able fly to destinations without a charging station, that are 100 miles away?
>
> Where did you ask this question?
At Starbuck's.
> >
> > Answer:
> > No, under current FAA rules, the aircraft would not be able to fly 100 miles to a destination that does not have a charging
> > station. The reason lies in the required energy reserve and the lack of an alternate charging location.
>
> Where did you ask this question?w
At your monthly MENSA meeting.
(My Ego Needs Some Affirmation)
> > The problem with the 100-mile flight to a destination without a charging station is that the entire flight would consume the
> > aircraft's full range. The 50-mile reserve is not meant to be used for the planned flight. Instead, the pilot must have a reserve
> > of at least 20 minutes of flight time (which at 200 mph is 67 miles) after reaching their destination. Since a 100-mile flight
> > consumes the entire 100-mile range and there's no charging station, the pilot would have no energy left to fly to an alternate
> > location or to handle any unexpected delays.
>
> But the pilot doesn't HAVE to fly at 200 mph, doofus.
Never said he "had to", liar. Do you want a scenario for every speed from stall to 200? Graph it. That'll be fun.
LOL... I made that point before and your ego had to shit on it, WITHOUT proof it was wrong, as usual.
"This is, of course, for a trip at 100mph, not 200mph, so THE FIGURES WOULD BE DIFFERENT FOR 200MPH", (OR anything else in
between).
Using your example of an aircraft with a 150-mile total capacity (100-mile range + 50-mile reserve), and assuming a cruising speed
of 100 mph, here are the maximum trip distances the FAA would permit:
(see that, moron? ASSUMING a cruise speed of 100mph, meaning it will be LESS for 200mph)
(the more you pretend not to see these passages, the worse YOU look... not me)
The maximum one-way trip (for 100MPH) would be approximately 58 miles.
This allows for:
58 miles to the destination (same going back)
58 miles to an alternate airport (assuming the alternate is the same distance away).
33 miles for the 20-minute FAA-mandated reserve.
Total = 149 miles (within the 150-mile total capacity)
That's cutting it close. Hope that landing gear can take an emergency landing!
> > For the flight to be legal, the pilot must plan a round trip to a destination that does not require the use of the 50-mile
> > reserve.
> > This would make the maximum one-way distance approximately 25 miles to ensure the aircraft can return with the required
> > reserve.
> >
> > <100 miles
> You're really bad at arithmetic.
Says the ego-maniac who didn't correct it.
Since I failed to...
PLONK!
=====
Subject: Re: So Much Written... So Little Said
From: AlleyCat <katt@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: alt.global-warming, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, can.politics, alt.politics.liberalism, alt.politics.democrats,
alt.politics.usa.republican
User-Agent: MicroPlanet-Gravity/3.0.4
Organization: AlleyCat Computing, Inc.
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 2025 20:44:51 -0500
Question:
Joby Aircraft is building an eVTOL. They state that the range of the aircraft is 100 miles with a 50 mile reserve.
According to FAA flight rules, how far can they fly to a destination that does not have a charging station, and to one that does?
Answer:
ACCORDING TO FAA REGULATIONS, the range a Joby eVTOL can fly depends on the type of flight operations and whether the destination
has a charging station. The standard "100 miles with a 50-mile reserve" provides a total range, but FAA rules dictate how that
reserve must be used.
The FAA issued a final rule in late 2024 that created a new category of aircraft called "powered-lift" for eVTOLs. This rule
applies existing regulations to these new aircraft based on their flight characteristics.
For a Destination with a Charging Station
This scenario is similar to flying to a destination with a known airport and available fuel. Under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), the
pilot can plan to fly the full distance and use the reserve only for unexpected delays. The flight to the destination is a planned
use of energy, and the reserve is extra.
Under VFR: The FAA requires a reserve of at least 20 minutes of flight time for rotorcraft after reaching the destination. For a
Joby eVTOL traveling at its cruise speed of 200 mph, this translates to a reserve of approximately 67 miles.
Your specified reserve: Since Joby's stated 50-mile reserve is less than the FAA's 20-minute VFR requirement for a rotorcraft, the
pilot would have to operate with a different reserve.
Maximum flight distance: The pilot could fly the entire 100-mile range to the destination. The 50-mile reserve would be part of the
total available energy, but the flight plan would need to ensure a 20-minute reserve remains upon arrival.
For a Destination Without a Charging Station
This situation is equivalent to not having a "fuel" source at your destination, which means you must plan a return trip or an
alternate landing spot. The 50-mile reserve is not enough for a round trip.
Required Reserve: To make a round trip, you would need enough energy to fly to the destination, and then enough to fly back to the
departure point with the legally required reserve remaining.
Maximum flight distance: A Joby eVTOL would only be able to fly approximately 25 miles out from its origin. This distance is
calculated by taking half of its 100-mile range and ensuring the 50-mile reserve is available for the return trip to the charging
station. This would be a 50-mile trip total (25 miles out, 25 miles back) with 50 miles of reserve remaining.
=====
Question:
According to FAA rules, will that aircraft be able fly to destinations without a charging station, that are 100 miles away?
Answer:
No, under current FAA rules, the aircraft would not be able to fly 100 miles to a destination that does not have a charging
station. The reason lies in the required energy reserve and the lack of an alternate charging location.
FAA regulations require that an aircraft operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) must have an energy reserve of at least 20
minutes of flight time after reaching its intended destination. A destination without a charging station effectively means it is an
"alternate" airport without a charging facility. In that case, the pilot would be required to plan for enough energy to get to an
alternate destination with a charging station and then have the required reserve.
A flight of 100 miles would consume the entire range of the aircraft, leaving only the 50-mile reserve. The FAA's rules effectively
prevent a pilot from planning a flight that would require the use of the entire reserve just to reach the destination, as this
leaves no buffer for unexpected events or a return trip. In essence, the aircraft's usable range to a destination without a
charging station is limited to the distance that allows for a safe return to the departure point with the required reserve intact.
A 100-mile flight would be impossible under these conditions, as it would require the full 100-mile range and then a return trip
using the 50-mile reserve, leaving no reserve for safety.
The FAA has published a final rule for the qualifications and training that instructors and pilots must have to fly aircraft in the
powered-lift category. FAA's New Rules for eVTOLs Explained Everything You Need to Know This video explains the new regulations for
eVTOLs, including pilot certification and operational requirements.
=====
14 CFR § 91.151
This rule states:
"(b) No person may begin a flight in a rotorcraft under VFR conditions unless... there is enough fuel to fly to the first point
of intended landing and... to fly after that for at least 20 minutes."
Although the rule uses the term "fuel," the FAA has applied this requirement to the energy source of any powered aircraft,
including batteries. The flight is planned using a specific route and destination, but the pilot must always have a reserve to deal
with unforeseen circumstances.
How It Applies to Your Scenario
The problem with the 100-mile flight to a destination without a charging station is that the entire flight would consume the
aircraft's full range. The 50-mile reserve is not meant to be used for the planned flight. Instead, the pilot must have a reserve
of at least 20 minutes of flight time (which at 200 mph is 67 miles) after reaching their destination. Since a 100-mile flight
consumes the entire 100-mile range and there's no charging station, the pilot would have no energy left to fly to an alternate
location or to handle any unexpected delays.
For the flight to be legal, the pilot must plan a round trip to a destination that does not require the use of the 50-mile reserve.
This would make the maximum one-way distance approximately 25 miles to ensure the aircraft can return with the required reserve.
<100 miles
[snicker]
========================================================================================
August:
Aussie Alpine Rescues Up
Cold Freezes Global Coffee Supply
New Study: Tonga Eruption Exposes IPCC Flaw, Cooling Ahead
Australia Freezes At -13.2C
Snow In Weird Places
The New York Times Invents Hot Days
Big Summer Gains For Greenland Ice Sheet
Brazil Coffee Frost Alerts Extended
Heatwave Exaggerations In Europe
Another La Niña Watch Issued, Defying The Models
Brazil's Coffee Belt Freezes
China Coal
Sunspot Decay And Solar Minimum
First Climate Lockdowns?
Frost Sweeps German Mountains As Europe Braces For August Chill
Wildfires Are Trending Down
Heat Island Skewings
BBC Heatwave Hysteria
Farmers' Almanac: "Old-Fashioned Winter" For U.S.
Four Decades of Climate Policy, Zero Impact
STUDY: NO DECLINE IN ARCTIC SEA ICE SINCE 2007
High Andes Shiver
Delhi's Coldest August Day in 14 Years
It Was A Cool July For Europe
The Guardian's Climate Flip-Flop
NOAA's 'Record Heat' Built on Missing Data
Great Barrier Reef Holding Strong In 2025
What A Difference A Year Makes
South America's Freeze Exposes Energy Fragility
+ Popular Climate Study Exposed As Propaganda
Global Temperatures Drop Sharply
The World Weather Attribution Scam
GFS Spins Up Two Fantasy Hurricanes
Patagonia's Increasing Snow
Cold And Snow Sweep South Africa
China's Solar Bubble Pops: 87,000 Jobs Gone, More Pain Ahead
Rise And Decline Linked To Hunga-Tonga
Ludhiana Logs Coldest July in 15 Years
More Monthly Cold Records Fall Across Australia
California's Record Cool Summer
Global Temperatures Continue To Drop
Australia Record Cold, Snow, And Power Failures
Arctic Sea Ice Doing Fine