Friday, October 23, 2026

Any new developments for Volocopter at this time?

Volocopter

Yes—Volocopter has re-emerged under Diamond Aircraft and is now focused on two aircraft: the VoloXPro and the VoloCity. The biggest recent developments are a new product launch, supply-chain restructuring, and a planned European operational “sandbox” program.[1][2]

Current status

  • Diamond Aircraft acquired Volocopter in March 2025 after its insolvency, stabilizing the company and integrating it into Diamond’s manufacturing and engineering resources.[2][3]
  • Volocopter says it has completed a supply-chain realignment to support scalable, cost-competitive production of the VoloCity and VoloXPro, though some component lead times remain extended.[1]
  • The company’s stated certification targets are VoloXPro approval in Germany by the end of 2026 and EASA type certification for VoloCity in 2027.[1]

VoloXPro

The VoloXPro is Volocopter’s new, fully electric two-seat ultralight multicopter, unveiled publicly at AERO 2026. It is aimed first at flight schools, flying clubs, sightseeing operators, and air-sports users, with potential professional passenger-transport uses internationally.[4]

Specification

VoloXPro

Configuration

1 pilot + 1 passenger, side-by-side [5]

Propulsion

18 electric rotors [5]

Cruise speed

70 km/h [5]

Range

Up to 40 km, depending on battery variant [5]

Max takeoff weight

600 kg, with 154 kg payload [4]

Planned market entry

End of 2026 [4]


VoloCity air taxi

The VoloCity remains the flagship urban air-taxi program and is being certified under EASA’s Special Condition for VTOL aircraft. Volocopter reports more than 2,000 test flights across its development history and says initial service would be piloted, with autonomy coming later.[6]

A notable recent milestone was a world-first eVTOL test in which ADAC Luftrettung pilots flew a VoloCity using a SimX ground station—relevant to remote/ground-based operational concepts and emergency-medical applications.[7][2]

Near-term plans

Volocopter plans to launch a European sandbox program in 2026, using point-to-point missions to test flight procedures, ground operations, passenger experience, and operational readiness for both aircraft. ADAC Luftrettung is expected to collaborate on selected missions, including potential emergency-medical-services use cases.[2]

Volocopter also signed a strategic agreement with Brazil’s Aeromot to introduce advanced air mobility in Brazil, expanding its international commercial footprint.[8][7]

Bottom line

Volocopter is no longer simply trying to survive; under Diamond it has pivoted toward a nearer-term, lower-certification product—the VoloXPro—while continuing the longer, more demanding path to certify the VoloCity as an urban air taxi. The key dates to watch are late 2026 for VoloXPro certification/market entry and 2027 for expected VoloCity EASA certification.[4][1]

⁂


  • https://www.volocopter.com/en/newsroom/VC-has-completed-optimizing-its-supply-chain    
  • https://www.compositesworld.com/news/volocopter-to-launch-european-evtol-sandbox-program-in-2026-featuring-volocity-voloxpro-    
  • https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/aircraft-propulsion/business-aviation-innovation-takes-center-stage-germany 
  • https://www.volocopter.com/en/newsroom/volocopter-launches-new-product-voloxpro    
  • https://www.volocopter.com/en/solutions/voloxpro    
  • https://www.volocopter.com/en/solutions/volocity 
  • https://www.volocopter.com/en/newsroom-archive  
  • https://www.volocopter.com/en/home 
  • https://www.ainonline.com/futureflight?page=17 
  • https://www.volocopter.com/en/newsroom 

Water levels in Lakes Mead and Powell today October 23, 2026?


Western drought brings Lake Mead to lowest level since it was built

As of today, October 23, 2026, both reservoirs remain extremely low:

Reservoir

Elevation

Storage

Full-pool deficit

Lake Mead

1,037.2 ft above sea level

about 6.78 million acre-feet, or 26.0% full

191.8 ft below its 1,229 ft full-pool level

Lake Powell

about 3,523.6 ft above sea level

about 5.46 million acre-feet, or 23.4% full

176.4 ft below its 3,700 ft full-pool level


Lake Mead’s latest daily reading is 1,037.2 ft, essentially unchanged from the prior day and near its record low; it is about 20.5 ft lower than a year ago. [1][2][3] Lake Powell has risen slightly over the past two weeks—up about 4.6 ft—but is still roughly 22 ft below its level a year ago and only about 34 ft above its minimum power-pool elevation. [4]

Context

Together, Mead and Powell held roughly 12.1 million acre-feet in late October—about 24–25% of their combined capacity. [5][2] The low levels reflect persistent drought, weak Colorado River runoff, and management actions intended to stabilize Lake Powell, including reduced releases downstream and supplemental releases from Flaming Gorge. [6]

For reference, Lake Mead remains above the 950 ft minimum power-pool threshold, while Lake Powell is above its 3,490 ft power-pool threshold but has limited buffer. [4]

⁂


Did the recent rains in the Las Vegas area affect lake levels

Only marginally. The heavy rain from Tropical Storm Rachel (October 9–11) sent runoff through Las Vegas flood-control channels toward Lake Mead, but it produced only about a 0.1-foot rise in the reservoir—effectively negligible against its roughly 192-foot deficit from full pool.[11][12]

Why the effect was small

  • Las Vegas recorded about 1.08 inches of rain on October 11, tying its wettest October day on record; some runoff flowed through the washes, storm drains, and detention basins toward Lake Mead.[12][13][14]
  • Lake Mead is a huge reservoir, and its level is governed overwhelmingly by Colorado River inflows and releases from Glen Canyon Dam, not by local Las Vegas rainfall.[14][15]
  • In the days after the storm, Lake Mead remained at about 26% capacity and near 1,037.7–1,037.8 ft; it subsequently set another record low on October 15, showing that the rain did not reverse the decline.[15][16][11]

The indirect benefit

The more meaningful effect was reduced downstream demand: rain in southern Nevada, eastern California, and western Arizona reduced irrigation needs, allowing less water to be released from Hoover Dam. That can slow Mead’s decline more than the direct runoff adds to it.[17][14]

For a lasting rebound, the decisive factor remains Rocky Mountain snowpack and spring snowmelt, which feed Lake Powell and then Lake Mead—not isolated desert rainstorms.[11][14]

⁂


  • https://mead.uslakes.info/Level/Calendar/2026/10/ 
  • https://reservoirbench.com/colorado-river/  
  • https://www.lakeprojections.com/lake-mead/water-level 
  • https://lakepowell.water-data.com/  
  • https://reservoirs.earth/the-reservoir 
  • https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260922005701.htm 
  • https://www.worldatlas.com/lakes/lake-mead-lost-192-feet-lake-powell-lost-179.html 
  • https://www.kentucky.com/opinion/us-viewpoints/article317743662.html 
  • https://ground.news/article/lake-mead-plunges-to-historic-low-as-water-levels-continue-to-fall_e5b624 
  • https://www.desertusa.com/riverinfo/c_river.html 
  • https://news3lv.com/news/local/tropical-storm-rachel-drenches-southern-nevada-but-barely-boosts-lake-mead-levels   
  • https://homesforsaleinmesquitenevada.com/news/tropical-storm-rachel-remnants-mesquite-flooding-october-2026  
  • https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&product=PNS&issuedby=VEF 
  • https://news3lv.com/news/local/where-does-las-vegas-rainwater-go-after-a-tropical-storm    
  • https://www.kiowacountypress.net/content/lake-powell-three-feet-lake-mead-keeps-setting-record-lows-what-pacific-storms-did-and-did  
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Mead 
  • https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-nevada/did-hilary-give-lake-mead-a-big-boost-not-exactly-2892522/ 
  • https://www.ktnv.com/news/las-vegas-valley-under-flood-watch-as-tropical-storm-rachel-takes-aim-at-us-southwest 
  • https://wisevoter.com/world/us/nv/las-vegas/2026/10/14/tropical-storm-rachel-las-vegas 
  • https://www.sitnas.id/34330/lake-mead-stays-at-26-percent-despite-tropical-storm-rachel 
  • https://www.weatherusa.net/wxwarnings?id=181038108 
  • https://mead.uslakes.info/Level/Calendar/2026/10/ 
  • https://www.lakeprojections.com/lake-mead/water-level 
  • https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?zoneid=NVZ025 
  • https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=NWS&product=PFM&issuedby=VEF 

What is the latest on the Sunterra Markets situation in Alberta?



The latest development is that Sunterra’s Red Deer Bower Place market closed on September 26, 2026, leaving the company with five Calgary markets and one Edmonton market while the broader Sunterra group remains in court-supervised restructuring and a sale/investment process.[1][2]

Current situation

  • Sunterra has been operating under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA) since 2025, giving it protection from creditors while it restructures.[3][4]
  • In April 2026, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench approved a sale and investment solicitation process for much of the Sunterra portfolio, including its Alberta agriculture, meat-processing, and grocery operations. KPMG Corporate Finance is the sales adviser and FTI Consulting is the court-appointed monitor.[2][1]
  • The first phase received confidential, non-binding letters of intent; the next stage is assessing those submissions and seeking binding bids. A recapitalization by the Price family remains one possible outcome.[1][3]

Store closures

Location

Status

Downtown Edmonton, Commerce Place

Closed May 29, 2026, after more than 30 years. [5]

Red Deer, Bower Place

Closed September 26, 2026, after five years. [1][2]

Calgary

Five markets reported still operating. [1][2]

Edmonton, Lendrum

Reported still operating, along with catering services. [5][1]


Why it happened

In January 2026, Justice Michael Lema found that Sunterra’s Canadian and U.S. entities engaged in large-scale cheque kiting and held the company liable to U.S. lender Compeer Financial for about US$35 million. The court also found president Ray Price personally responsible.[6][3]

Sunterra sought leave to appeal, but the Alberta Court of Appeal denied that request in April 2026, leaving the lower-court ruling in place.[7]

What to watch

The key question is whether the CCAA process produces a buyer, investor, refinancing, or Price-family recapitalization that keeps some or all of the remaining Sunterra businesses operating. No announced sale or rescue transaction appears to have been completed as of the latest reporting.[3][1]

⁂


What is the latest status of the sales process

The sales process has completed Phase 1, but there is no publicly announced successful buyer, binding offer, or court-approved sale transaction as of the latest available reporting. The process remains at the stage where qualified Phase 1 bidders would be invited to make binding offers in Phase 2.[11][12][13]

Where the process stands

  • On April 28, 2026, the Alberta Court of King’s Bench approved Sunterra’s court-supervised Sale and Investment Solicitation Process (SISP), covering a sale of, or investment in, all or substantially all of the Sunterra Group’s business and assets. KPMG Corporate Finance is the sale adviser; FTI Consulting is the court-appointed monitor.[13][14]
  • Phase 1 required interested parties to submit non-binding letters of intent by 5:00 p.m. Calgary time on June 25, 2026.[12][14]
  • Reporting in early August said that first phase had concluded and that the parties were reviewing the confidential, non-binding expressions of interest before moving toward binding bids.[15][11]

Phase 2 status

  • Under the approved SISP, only parties qualified in Phase 1 may proceed to Phase 2, where they can submit a binding offer to buy all, substantially all, or part of the business/assets—or to invest in, restructure, recapitalize, or refinance Sunterra.[12][13]
  • The Phase 2 deadline was deliberately left flexible: it is to be set by the sale adviser, chief restructuring adviser, and monitor after assessing Phase 1 interest.[16][13]
  • Any successful bid still requires court approval before it can be implemented.[13][12]

What has not happened

There is no public evidence that Sunterra has named a stalking-horse bidder, announced a definitive purchase agreement, or obtained court approval for a sale. The company’s CCAA stay was extended to October 30, 2026, so the restructuring and sale process is still active.[16]

In practical terms: Phase 1 is done; Phase 2 binding bids are the next milestone, but their deadline and the identities or number of bidders have not been publicly disclosed.[11][12][16]

⁂


  • https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2026/09/sunterra-closes-another-of-its-market-locations/       
  • https://todayinbc.com/2026/09/26/red-deer-sunterra-market-closes/    
  • https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9.7296199    
  • https://rdnewsnow.com/2025/04/03/sunterra-quality-food-markets-inc-files-for-bankruptcy-protection/ 
  • https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/downtown-grocer-closes-after-3-decades-amid-series-of-legal-financial-troubles/  
  • https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sunterra-lawsuit-appeal-michael-lema-9.7114808 
  • https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9.7176610 
  • https://x.com/RetailInsider_/status/2085132699937956246 
  • https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sunterra-compeer-financial-sale-9.7296199 
  • https://albertawestnews.blogspot.com/2026/08/latest-on-sunterra-markets.html 
  • https://www.cbc.ca/lite/story/9.7296199   
  • https://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/sunterra/docs/2501-06120-Filed-2026-05-07-SISP-Approval-Order.pdf     
  • https://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/sunterra/docs/(20260428)250106120FILED20260422APPLICATION.pdf     
  • https://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/sunterra/docs/Sunterra SISP Notice.pdf  
  • https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mariotoneguzzi_sunterra-market-ends-first-phase-of-sale-activity-7492151192014462976-MXE6 
  • https://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/sunterra/docs/(2026-04-28) -2501-06120 -Filed-2026-04-27-Monitor's-Seventh-Report.pdf   
  • https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mariotoneguzzi_sunterra-market-ends-first-phase-of-sale-activity-7490898240981069824-8UjD 
  • https://harrispartnersadvisory.ca/sunterra 
  • https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sunterra-compeer-financial-sale-9.7296199 
  • https://retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2026/09/sunterra-closes-another-of-its-market-locations/ 
  • https://todayinbc.com/2026/09/26/red-deer-sunterra-market-closes/ 
  • https://x.com/RetailInsider_/status/2085132699937956246 
  • https://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/sunterra/docs/2501-06120-Filed-2026-02-23-Report-of-the-Monitor.pdf 
  • https://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/sunterra/docs/Sunterra - Monitors Fourth Report - Final.pdf 
  • https://cfcanada.fticonsulting.com/sunterra/docs/2501-06120-Filed-2025-12-09-Report-of-the-Monitor.pdf