A task force formed to help ensure St. Petersburg can capitalize on the nascent advanced air mobility industry is moving into its recommendation phase after exploring potential vertiport locations.
More specifically, the group of local business and civic leaders recently studied the feasibility of Albert Whitted Airport featuring St. Petersburg’s first vertiport – a specially designed heliport for electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs). The task force’s Nov. 13 city council update, its second, followed the Florida Department of Transportation’s announcement in late October that it will build an advanced air mobility (AAM) testing facility in Polk County.
Former City Councilmember Ed Montanari, who leads the task force, credited officials for “putting together a great group of people that care, listen, learn and are working together to solve a very interesting issue.” He believes St. Petersburg is Florida’s only municipality to join airports in studying the AAM industry.
“If you look at the space we have out there at Albert Whitted Airport, you’re going to have to do some modifications,” Montanari said. “You might not be able to build or develop as many hangars, and there’s always been a waiting list for hangars out there.”
AAM is a rapidly evolving aerospace sector that typically utilizes eVTOLs to move people and cargo. Montanari noted that the aircraft, which require very little take-off and landing space, could also play a role in public safety.
Mayor Ken Welch appointed Montanari, a former fighter and commercial pilot, to the city’s task force in January. Welch told the Catalyst in May that he has had “a lot of conversations with our emergency management folks in the city and county about what role Albert Whitted would play in disaster recovery if we were to lose two bridges, which is a scenario.”
Multiple Ospreys, larger planes that also take off and land vertically, accompanied Marine One when former President Joe Biden landed at Albert Whitted after Hurricane Milton. Councilmember Gina Driscoll said Nov. 13 that the task force should discuss sharing space with local hospitals, which also utilize the airport.
ALSO READ: Could electric air taxis be a solution to Florida's traffic jams?
Incorporating a large vertiport with electrical infrastructure into the city-owned facility could prove challenging. Montanari said an air taxi operation would also require additional parking.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations would prevent a vertiport on the airport’s north side, facing toward the St. Pete Pier. The southern side could potentially accommodate a facility, provided eVTOLs do not interfere with current flight paths.
“We could still operate eVTOLs out of Albert Whitted Airport, but not have a vertiport,” Montanari explained. “We could operate like we operate helicopters now.”
He said the city needs “more specific criteria” for heliport zoning, and “we don’t have anything in our code when it comes to vertiports.” The task force will include those recommendations in its final report.
Driscoll suggested using Albert Whitted as a “stop” for eVTOLs. While that is an option, Montanari said the leading manufacturers have partnered with airlines, which could require additional space.
Derek Kilborn, urban planning manager, said the zoning department could revise land development regulations to accommodate AAM advancements. “Maximizing flexibility is something we always try to do through code writing, so we would absolutely do that here.”
“We could start with where heliports are allowed today, since they’re similar,” Kilborn continued. “Then, after experiencing that incorporation, expand it out … but we did offer that as a conservative approach.”
Councilmember Mike Harting questioned when the world would see eVTOLs humming through the skies. “Parts of this are going very fast,” Montanari replied.
He noted that several companies, including Walmart, have already launched pilot programs for package delivery. Montanari believes the FAA is “at least a year, maybe two” away from certifying the aircraft.
While he compared eVTOLs to flying cars in The Jetsons cartoon, Montanari also stressed that the industry “is being developed very, very quickly.”
The President issued two executive orders to advance AAM and eVTOLs in June. Those require the FAA to select and support five related projects by Dec. 3. Experts expect it to become a $137 billion industry by 2035.
State officials have prioritized using the skies above the I-4 corridor to relieve roadway congestion. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is building two vertiports, a passenger terminal, parking areas, charging stations and research and development hangars at its Polk County SunTrax site.
FDOT’s aerial network plan includes testing, validating and scaling air taxi, cargo and emergency service use cases. The first phase incorporates St. Pete-Clearwater and Tampa International Airports.
“The United States has always been a leader in aerospace and aviation, and we don’t want to be second in this area,” Montanari said. “But the state is also very much a leader in this space. They’re really pouring a lot of money into making sure Florida is ready for this.”
The task force met Monday to review its recommendations for compatibility planning, zoning, land use and a regulatory framework. City council members will hear a final report Jan. 22.
This content provided in partnership with StPeteCatalyst.com
