Hanneke Weitering is a writer and editor with AIN covering advanced air mobility and new flight technologies. She became an aviation journalist and joined the AIN team in the summer of 2022 after reporting on spaceflight and astronomy for six years at Space.com. After earning a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, she moved to New York City to pursue a master’s degree in science, health, and environmental reporting at New York University&#039;s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. After spending several years in the Pacific Northwest, she has returned to the Knoxville area.

Science & Technology Editor

Hanneke Weitering

Wisk Aero, the autonomous eVTOL manufacturer that Archer Aviation is <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2026-08-10/archer-acquire-wisk-insitu-and-skygrid-boeing">acquiring</a> from Boeing, has begun building a vertiport near its flight-test facility at Hollister Municipal Airport (KCVH) in California. According to Wisk, the vertiport will be one of the first in the U.S. where both piloted and pilotless eVTOL aircraft will be able to take off and land.
The 100-by-100-foot test site is designed to meet the FAA’s existing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2025-01-14/faa-updates-vertiport-design-standards-evtol-aircraft">vertiport design standards</a>, and data gathered during early operations there could inform the agency’s “Unified Vertical Lift Infrastructure Advisory Circular,” expected to be published in mid-2027. Wisk’s vertiport design comprises “a modular, deployable layout constructed with steel elevated structures, integrated solar panels, power banks, and taxiway connectors,” the company said, adding that the “relocatable template” could be deployed in Texas under the FAA’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/futureflight/2026-03-31/faa-evtol-integration-pilot-program-flips-script">eVTOL Integration Pilot Program</a> (eIPP).&nbsp;
Mountain View, California-based Wisk plans to use the KCVH vertiport to test the autonomous capabilities of the pilotless, four-passenger “Gen 6” eVTOL air taxi it has been flight-testing there since December 2025. For example, the company said it will evaluate autonomous landing procedures under nominal conditions, missed approaches, and GPS-denied environments. A company spokeswoman told AIN that the vertiport is expected to be completed and operational this fall.
“By testing autonomous and piloted operations on an actual public airport, we are bridging the gap between advanced aircraft development and real-world infrastructure,” said Annie Cheng, senior program manager for operational integration and testing at Wisk. “The data and operational learnings generated here will directly feed into our autonomy stack and help shape the FAA’s foundational standards for future vertiport operations, moving autonomous air taxis significantly closer to commercial readiness.”

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

Wisk Begins Building eVTOL Vertiport at Hollister Airport

Site will support both piloted and pilotless VTOL flight testing

Wisk Aero has begun building a vertiport near its eVTOL flight-testing facility at Hollister Municipal Airport (KCVH) in California.

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