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Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are moving fast—and Michigan is in a strong position to lead. But to build a real talent pipeline, we need a clear picture of what’s already happening across our state colleges and universities. Photo by LexScope  on Unsplash Thelenwood Consulting is benchmarking AAM/UAS curriculum and program offerings across Michigan’s higher-ed landscape. The goal is straightforward: identify where programs already exist, wher

Michigan is often recognized for its automotive legacy, but today the state’s mobility advantage extends far beyond cars and trucks alone. Over the past two decades, Michigan has intentionally built a diverse network of mobility test sites—each designed to answer a different question about how new technologies perform in the real world. Photo by Siyuan  on Unsplash Some sites replicate harsh environmental conditions. Others embed innovation directly into cities, campuses, air

Michigan has reopened one of its most impactful mobility funding opportunities: the 2026 Real-World Deployment and Test Site Grants, administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) through the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME). Photo by Maximalfocus  on Unsplash At their core, these grants are designed to help proven technologies move into operational environments—supporting testing, validation, and deployment across Michigan’s mobility

Why the Strongest Applications Will Be Built by Coalitions Michigan’s 2026 Real World Deployment and Test Site Grants are now open through the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform (MMFP). While the program offers meaningful funding for mobility and transportation innovation, the signal for this cycle is clear: the State of Michigan is prioritizing coalitions that can execute across sectors, jurisdictions, and systems. At Thelenwood Consulting, our primary objective in 2026 is h

Advanced Air Mobility is no longer hypothetical. Interest is widespread. Activity is accelerating. Across Michigan and the broader region, airports, communities, and businesses are asking the same question: What comes next—and how do we do this together? At Thelenwood Consulting, our focus in 2026 is clear: moving AAM from momentum to integration, and from isolated activity to sustainable, community-grounded systems. That work cannot happen in silos. Why Consortiums Matter N

Advanced Air Mobility is no longer a concept. Interest is high. Investment is real. New platforms, policies, pilots, and partnerships continue to emerge across the ecosystem. But as AAM accelerates, one question matters more than all others: Is AAM becoming real—or is it remaining abstract? In 2026, Thelenwood Consulting is intentionally repositioning its work around that question. Our goal is to be the go-to resource for AAM integration—helping communities, airports, pu

By 2025, Michigan’s AAM ecosystem crossed a critical threshold. What had once been exploratory pilots began to resemble an emerging market—anchored by manufacturing capacity, public-sector demand, airport readiness, and workforce alignment. Data from Thelenwood Consulting’s Michigan Advanced Air Mobility Readiness Survey (the “AAM Index Survey”) reinforces this distinction between momentum and maturity. While the average readiness score across respondents was 24 percent of to

As we move into 2026, Thelenwood Consulting is looking to expand engagement and support AAM collaboration across Michigan and the broader Great Lakes region , while continuing to elevate the role and potential of West Michigan’s airports and business partners  within that ecosystem. Several AAM companies are already engaged in Michigan—or actively exploring opportunities to do so—across areas such as eVTOL infrastructure, drone operations, airspace management, logistics, and

The Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) is frequently referenced in industry discussions, yet often misunderstood. At its core, the eIPP is not a technology demonstration program and it is not a traditional grant opportunity. It is an FAA-led initiative designed to help the agency understand how electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft can be safely and effectively integrated into the National Airspace System. The program bui

To understand why the Ohio–Kentucky–Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI) has become a reference point in recent AAM discussions, it is important to start with what OKI is—and what it is not. OKI is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Cincinnati metropolitan region, which spans parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. MPOs are responsible for long-range transportation planning, federal transportation funding coordination, and regiona

How federal acceleration intersects with Michigan’s groundwork — and what it means for airports, states, and industry partners. Photo Credit: Donghun Shin, for Unsplash AAM Back at Center Stage Advanced Air Mobility re-emerged as a high federal priority in 2025. After several years of incremental progress, the Trump Administration placed AAM — including drones, eVTOL aircraft, and next-gen logistics capabilities — at the forefront of national aviation policy. A set of June Ex

How the Whitmer Administration Is Growing Michigan’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Sector Michigan’s approach to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) hasn’t arrived through a single announcement or initiative. Instead, the Whitmer Administration has been steadily building a coordinated strategy—one that connects airports, innovation districts, state agencies, and private‑sector partners into a unified vision for next‑generation mobility. This newsletter feature breaks down that strategy

Having now lived on the West Side of the state for well over 10 years, returning to the metro Detroit area always feels like a bit of a homecoming. Though I didn’t grow up in Detroit proper (Oakland County) the City always loomed large in the collective consciousness of the surrounding regions. Through growth and upheaval, Detroit has always been the driving heartbeat for Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, St. Clair, and Washtenaw counties – as well as the state, overall. It

Why This Moment Matters for AAM – and for Michigan The FAA’s new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site (UASTS) Selection 2.0 solicitation is more than another federal notice on SAM.gov —it’s a signal of where U.S. drone and AAM integration is headed, and a clear invitation for states and regions to step up. Paris Bilal For Unsplash+ Through Screening Information Request 697DCK-26-R-00019, the FAA is launching a competitive process to designate up to two additional UAS test site

Around the world, Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is moving from demonstration to deployment. While Michigan is deliberately building its own readiness foundation, international progress provides a useful sense of where the industry is heading — and what elements Michigan’s airports, agencies, and partners should keep in view as statewide activity grows. 1. Global Regulators Are Setting the Pace Regulators in Europe, Asia, and South America continue to move quickly on AAM framewo

BETA Technologies’ announcement that it intends to go public marks one of the strongest signals to date that electric aviation is transitioning from R&D toward commercial-scale deployment. For Michigan’s airports and mobility partners, this development reinforces that electrified aviation infrastructure and regional operations are no longer theoretical—they are becoming operational realities. Why This IPO Matters (In our Opinion) Market Validation: Investor confidence at IPO

Federal Activity Resumes as the Shutdown Ends — and New NOFOs Are Already Dropping Getty Images for Unsplash+ With the recent federal shutdown resolved, agencies are starting to move again — and AAM-adjacent programs are among the first out of the gate. One of the most visible examples is the new Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Grant Program, a $500 million effort designed to help states and local partners secure airspace ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and other m

As Michigan’s AAM landscape expands, one challenge comes up again and again: airport and community leaders are expected to understand a fast-moving ecosystem without clear, accessible guidance. The Michigan AAM Readiness Index highlights this reality — interest across the state is high, but foundational awareness varies, leaving many unsure where to begin or how to prioritize efforts. https://unsplash.com/@12photography A practical approach to AAM is urgently needed — one gro

Twenty-four percent of survey respondents demonstrated a clear foundational understanding of core AAM concepts across Michigan’s airport network. This figure reflects overall awareness based on the survey responses received and provides a snapshot of where airports currently stand on key AAM fundamentals: planning, regulation, infrastructure, use cases, and partnerships. Getty Images, for Unsplash+ 1. Airport Planning & ALP Awareness Competency Rate: 21% 19% understood that A

If you’ve been struggling to keep up with Michigan’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) activity, you’re not alone. With state-led pilots, airport planning, private testbeds, emerging COAs, and corridor concepts moving in parallel, the landscape is expanding quickly. This article provides an orientation to who’s involved, where activity is occurring, and what’s coming next. [ https://unsplash.com/@zonalsublime State Framework: Coordination First Michigan’s AAM strategy is coordinate