Encouraging the development of an integrated ecosystem of partners, Bell joins the Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Consortium (CAAM) in its effort to establish Canada as a global leader in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Announced Oct. 28, the multi-stakeholder group created by the Canadian Air Mobility and National Research Council of Canada (NRC) will streamline research, development and commercial operations in the AAM sector.

Bell’s Innovation teams are currently developing and testing the Autonomous Pod Transport (APT), a tail-sitting, eVTOL vehicle capable of moving 70 lbs of goods through autonomous flight. The groundwork for Bell’s innovative, new platform was developed in the Bell Textron Canada facility in Mirabel, Quebec.

Bell’s innovators in Fort Worth and Mirabel are working to create a new on-demand delivery solution for consumers, warfighters and medical personnel. In collaboration with NASA, APT recently flew a preprogrammed 10-mile circuit path in Fort Worth through complex air space, collecting detect and avoid data while demonstrating its beyond visible line of sight flight capabilities. The innovation team in Mirabel also played a key role in testing the rotating ducts for our Bell Nexus 4EX, which was showcased at CES 2020. With many more milestones to come, our team continues to develop unmanned technology to deliver impactful experiences for our communities, consumers and global businesses.

As an investing member of the CAAM, Bell is thrilled to lend expertise to industry and government partners to develop an integrated AAM ecosystem in Canada. Paving the way for innovation like APT entails close collaboration and an open conversation about the associated infrastructure, regulatory, operational and technology needs. Through these partnerships, Bell moves closer to redefining mobility and bringing advanced vertical lift solutions to urban regions, like Vancouver.