Autonomous eVTOL flights represent a new era in air travel, making rigorous pre-flight safety protocols even more critical due to the absence of an onboard crew.. At Wisk, ensuring passenger safety starts before takeoff and relies on a meticulously designed system of checks and procedures conducted by a highly trained Ground Crew.

Our comprehensive approach to pre-flight safety begins with start-of-day inspections. These inspections verify that all vertiport-based equipment is fully operational and serviceable, such as passenger transport vehicles, Thermal Management Units (TMUs), charging units, tugs, boarding stairs, and lifting devices. This check ensures that the entire ground infrastructure supporting air taxi operations is ready for the day's flights.

Before each day's initial flight, the Ground Control Crew conducts a thorough inspection of all equipment, including charging units and tugs, to ensure safety and full operational readiness.

Prior to each departure, the Ground Crew will perform detailed visual inspections of the aircraft. This includes a thorough examination of the aircraft’s structure, cabin, propulsion systems, and all cabin fixtures, such as seat belts. Any identified defects are immediately logged for prompt maintenance. We’ll also check the aircraft’s Power Switch Panel (PSP) and verify the battery charging status. These checks support the operational integrity and power management of the aircraft.

The Ground Crew completes the safety inspection of the aircraft and secures passengers. 

Passenger boarding is managed with extreme care, including specific procedures for special assistance passengers. The Ground Crew ensures secure seating for all passengers and proper baggage stowage. The final stage of the pre-flight safety inspection involves checks at the Touchdown and Lift-off Area (TLOF). Here, the Ground Crew confirms that all safety zones are clear of hazards before flight readiness is declared. These multi-layered steps, from equipment readiness to aircraft integrity and passenger management, establish a robust system of redundancy and oversight, ensuring the highest standards of passenger safety before takeoff.

The Ground Crew welcomes passengers to their destinations and helps them deplane. 

The pre-flight risk assessment for autonomous operations is specifically adapted to address the unique characteristics of low-altitude flights. Weather conditions, including localized turbulence and microclimate effects, are integrated into a pre-flight briefing for all ground support personnel located at the vertiports. This briefing provides critical updates on local vertiport conditions, potential unserviceabilities, and any procedural changes relevant to the day’s flights. 

Pre-flight risk assessments for autonomous operations include a critical Ground Crew briefing on localized low-altitude weather, microclimate effects, and real-time vertiport conditions.

Pre-flight procedures also integrate contingency awareness, with Ground Crew trained to respond immediately to off-nominal events. By embedding hazard scanning, environmental monitoring, and strict defect-reporting protocols into the pre-flight process, the operational realities of low-altitude flights, where environmental and mechanical risks can materialize quickly, are safely and appropriately addressed.

Wisk's commitment to rigorous pre-flight safety protocols, executed by a highly trained Ground Crew and supported by SkyGrid’s extensive data service, is fundamental to ensuring passenger safety in autonomous air taxi travel. Through comprehensive inspections, detailed visual checks, careful passenger boarding procedures, and adaptive contingency management, Wisk establishes multiple layers of redundancy and oversight, finely tuning operations to the unique characteristics of low-altitude flights.