Published: April 3, 2025 (Link to Dutch version)

What was a boyhood dream for the initiators from the very beginning is now no longer a dream: The certification of the last part of the PAL-V has been completed, so the factory can start test flights.

FlyDrive manufacturer PAL-V announced today (April 3, 2025) that EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) has issued it the essential statement of “No Technical Objection” NTO.
The NTO is an EASA approval of the PAL-V compliance demonstration program to complete the flight certification and confirms that there are no known risks that prevent full type certification.

Volkers Amsmeijer of Easa stated “This is the first time that we have issued a “No Technical Objection” for a FlyDrive vehicle. An important step towards full certification of the PAL-V Liberty.”

The PAL-V Liberty has been in development since 2008. An intensive job of 17 years of patience, inventiveness and perseverance.
The vehicle drives on the road and can be manually converted into an aircraft in a few minutes. The Pal-V takes to the air as a Gyrocopter.
Certification for road use was obtained in 2020.
EASA has now agreed to a detailed demonstration program so that it can be demonstrated in practice that the aircraft is fully airworthy and receives flight certification.

Staying ahead of the competition
Companies worldwide are working on the development of new aviation concepts where innovations in the field of propulsion, composites and software are the order of the day.
However, none of these initiatives have yet led to certification, meaning that it concerns an airworthy manned aircraft.
Pal-V meets more than 1500 criteria that are important for approval.

In several countries, concepts are being developed for transporting passengers. However, none of these concepts has reached a credible path for certification by the Aviation Authorities.

It is therefore reasonable to assume that new concepts must at least meet the high requirements that EASA set for the PAL-V.

Specifications:
The rotor blades are 20% more efficient with less drag compared to comparable blades, resulting in better performance and lower fuel consumption.

Henri de Vries, senior scientist at the Netherlands Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) said: “We have overcome technical challenges and made the rotor blades ready for industrial production.”
Gyroplane rotor blades are moved by airflow to create lift rather than by using an engine, this is called autorotation, so the Pal-V blades are essentially its wings in flight.

“In addition to being lightweight, they feature a center hinge to fold the blades and allow the vehicle to travel on the road with a convenient vehicle length of just four meters. This makes the design unprecedented.”

The Pal-V Liberty can reach 160 km per hour on the road. Flying it reaches 180 km per hour.
Range is 1315 km driving and 500 km flying.

LAE = Low Altitude Aviation
Usually, developers receive strong government support. Like in the USA, the Middle East and Asia.
China has declared “Low Altitude Economy (LAE)” as a national priority.

PAL-V is thus the first manufacturer in this sector, which has reached the last of the seven EASA certification stages and is known for adhering to the strictest safety standards.
Once an aircraft is fully certified for use in Europe, global acceptance is in sight.

Business and Government
Since the development of this aircraft led to the expectation that EASA would be able to declare the aircraft airworthy, many private individuals have placed orders.
However, in recent years, the business community has discovered the possibilities that a FLY & DRIVE offers them.

Worldwide implementation
As demand grows, PAL-V is working on the basis for worldwide implementation.
Off-site production capacities and maintenance networks are essential if the PAL-V Liberty is to be sold worldwide.

While the certification of the Liberty can now be completed, PAL-V is working hard on new applications. Including the use of sustainable fuels and CO2-neutral drivetrains for use on the road and in the Air

VTOL
The Pal-V only needs a few meters to land.
But for take-off, some speed is still needed before the rotor blades start turning and create lift.
The option to have the Liberty take off vertically is currently being worked on.
The VTOL function (vertical Take off and landing) will be added in later versions of the PAL-V. Then it will be possible to make a jump start with a gyrocopter. The rotor blades will then immediately start turning faster by motor, like in a helicopter.

How the future of mobility has taken shape will become immediately clear to everyone after watching this video:

Robert Dingemanse (founder and CEO of Pal-V) said:

“This milestone confirms that PAL-V is the first to bring the world’s first certified FLYDRIVE vehicle to market.
“The Transformation of Mobility has begun”.

The original press release can be found here: LINK