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Event Reminder: #Aviation #innovation can improve how we fly: Learn more at our luncheon on April 23. Despite occasional headlines that can trigger anxiety, aviation remains one of the world’s safest and most reliable ways to travel – as 90,000 passenger flights per day attests. To remain sustainable, however, the aviation #industry must continue to innovate in fields such as “green” fuel, engine design and more. Join us in #Madison to hear from experts in #Wisconsin who are helping to define the future of aviation through their work. Panelists are Jon Heup, president of #Racine-based DeltaHawk Engines, Inc. Engines, an aircraft engine manufacturer; and Dave Kettner, president of Virent, Inc, a bio-based fuel company in Madison that recently powered a flight from London to New York using only 100% sustainable fuel; and Paul Strege, vice president of aviation at Mead & Hunt, a nationally known architectural and #engineering firm with a 70-year presence in the #aerospace industry. “Commercial passenger airlines in the United States have gone 15 years without a single death from a crash. In large part, that’s due to innovation that has improved aircraft design, #tech-based systems redundancies and more. We’ll hear about some homegrown innovation that helps define Wisconsin’s air legacy.” - Tom Still Learn more and register: https://lnkd.in/gap5D5-i

Where are my rotary wing sisters and brothers out there? The FAA's latest Vertiport Electrical Infrastructure study [https://lnkd.in/gHM7MSp7] overlooks electric Short Takeoff and Landing (eSTOL) aircraft like the Electra EL-2 Goldfinch, which could use integrated helipads for 150-200 ft takeoffs and landings. However, this might still be challenging in dense urban settings. Meanwhile, eVTOLs, particularly those with skids, face high energy demands for displacement, leading to frequent recharging and potentially compromising contingency readiness. How would you incorporate electric Short Takeoff and Landing (eSTOL) aircraft into a dense urban infrastructure? #sustainableinfrastructure

Pyka Relocates Headquarters to Alameda Naval Air Station Site Pyka, a trailblazer in autonomous electric aircraft technology, transitions to its new expansive headquarters at Alameda Point, California, bolstering its design, development, and production capabilities. Supported by a California Competes Tax Credit, this move aligns Pyka with other green tech innovators, amplifying its commitment to sustainable aviation and job creation in the green energy sector. With a global footprint and FAA approvals, Pyka’s journey from a 2017 startup to a key player in electric aviation underscores its mission-driven approach to revolutionizing the industry while fostering a collaborative and diverse team culture. Read more at: https://lnkd.in/g9wuaCe5 #Pyka #ElectricAviation #GreenTech #SustainableInnovation #AlamedaPoint #AutonomousAircraft #CaliforniaInnovation #AviationTechnology #GreenEnergy #TechExpansion

Since electric aircraft seem to be taking off, and since I'm extremely unlikely to start an aircraft company, here's my idea. Do with it what you wish (you can even ridicule it, but I'd rather not be directly mentioned in that case): We got used, in hydrocarbon-fuelled aircraft, to their being built as a single unit that goes from take off to landing. I think there were good reasons for that, including availability of land and their place (relatively long haul flights) in the transport mix. But we don't have to stick with that model. In rocketry, we use multiple stages to reduce the amount of fuel-carrying infrastructure that needs to be lifted to orbit. With electric planes, we could do something similar, with a "sled", that carries the main fuselage to cruising height and speed, then detaches and returns to recharge and be reused. Optionally, this could also be done during landing. One significant advantage of this idea (although it's not essential) is that the sled, because it can be mostly motors and batteries, should be able to support vertical take off (and optionally landing), followed by in-air acceleration before the sled detaches decelerates and returns to charge. In principle, this could hasten, for example, practical use of electric jets for all NZ domestic routes, as well as allowing departures and arrivals at much smaller stations nearer to population centres and other transport infrastructure. Could this be made workable? Brett Adcock, Stefan Powell, Guglielmo S. Aglietti

What's the coolest thing in California? We think its Pivotal's Helix. The Helix is a modern take on traditional aviation. Electric power, digital instruments, and simple controls make the Helix an ideal aircraft for experienced pilots and newcomers alike. Learn more about the Helix on Pivotal's website and vote for the Helix in California Manufacturers & Technology Association (CMTA)'s poll - both linked in the comments!

We,25 Sep 1929 Jimmy Doolittle proves possibility of full instrument flying from takeoff to landing, w/1st blind flight from Mitchel Field. This follows his research establishing the limits of judging direction & motion and his help developing the artificial horizon & the directional gyro. All-weather airline operation becomes practical.

Dave Kettner, the president of #Madison-based Virent, Inc, doesn’t make a habit of hanging out with international celebrities, but he did so last fall on a transatlantic flight with billionaire Sir Richard Branson. It helped that Kettner’s firm supplied much of the #sustainable #aviation fuel that entirely powered Virgin Atlantic’s “Flight 100” in November 2023, the first such transatlantic crossing by a commercial airline. So, what kind of person was Branson? Kettner recalled an energetic man who spent much of the eight-hour flight on his feet engaging with other passengers. But the real star was Virent’s BioForm fuel, which can be made from all types of plant-based material and safely dropped into jet engine tanks without the need to blend with conventional fuels. It’s one example of innovation in the aviation industry taking place in #Wisconsin, which already has a rich history of powered flight “firsts” that range from fighter pilot aces to early astronauts to the world-renowned air show of the EAA in #Oshkosh. The kind of transformation underway in Wisconsin and elsewhere today has a chance to alter the carbon-based footprint of the #industry through new fuels, new engines and new ways to move people and cargo through airports. Article: 'Inside Wisconsin: Taking off: Aviation innovation continues to fly high in Wisconsin' https://lnkd.in/gg-6tbT9 via Tom Still #energy #innovation #transportation

Electra.aero, Inc. (Electra), a pioneering aerospace company dedicated to decarbonizing aviation and creating new air transportation markets, has achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of off-runway test flights of its EL-2 Goldfinch hybrid-electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) technology demonstrator. These test flights were conducted from a grass field near Electra’s facility in Manassas, Virginia. The EL-2 Goldfinch demonstrated its capability to operate from austere fields smaller than 300 feet that are minimally prepared. The aircraft executed a series of takeoffs and landings from the grass area, showcasing a maximum performance climb-out of 32 degrees, suitable for various military missions. Importantly, the aircraft required no charging infrastructure, as its batteries are charged in-flight by the hybrid propulsion system. This dual-use technology is ideal for serving as a small, highly fuel-efficient, and cost-effective airlifter that supports Agile Combat Employment and expeditionary missions while reducing the operational energy footprint. These runway-independent eSTOL aircraft can alleviate demand on larger, high-performance fixed-wing and rotorcraft platforms in contested logistics environments. JP Stewart, Electra’s Vice President and General Manager, stated, “The Electra eSTOL technologies increase the number of available landing sites by orders of magnitude relative to traditional fixed-wing aircraft while providing for higher cruise speeds, lower costs, and lower noise than vertical lift solutions. These first flights from a field demonstrate the beginnings of this strong capability that we will continue to develop.” The test campaign also included acoustic data collection, validating the low-acoustic capabilities of the eSTOL technologies. The aircraft achieved quiet operations under 55 decibels at 500 feet overflight, comparable to human conversation. At typical cruise altitudes, the aircraft will be inaudible over background noise. Future flights will progress to even rougher and more confined areas as the test program continues. Electra is developing a production aircraft capable of carrying 9 passengers or 2,500 pounds of cargo up to 500 miles, while maintaining STOL, austere operations, and low-noise capabilities. Aircraft certification and entry into commercial service under Federal Aviation Administration Part 23 regulations are targeted for 2028. Read the article on our blog. #AvfoilNews #ElectraAero #eSTOL #AviationInnovation #HybridElectric #DecarbonizingAviation #AgileCombatEmployment #SustainableAviation

Here is a nice piece on #AAMInfrastrucutre by Vertical Aviation International's Rotor Media with some excellent points from my good friends and colleagues Kathryn Wright Vice President of Heliplanners and Chris Martino Director of Operations & International Affairs at VAI. A couple of minor tweaks to my quotes for accuracy: 1) The best estimate is that Hospitals represent 65% of all heliports in the U.S. 2) AW139 Max Takeoff Weight wt: 14,991 lbs. 3) Federal funding is based primarily on use cases and not ownership. Privately owned public-use facilities may be eligible for federal funding but private-use facilities are not. Vertical Flight Society NASAO - National Association of State Aviation Officials General Aviation Manufacturers Association NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration International Civil Aviation Organization EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency #aam #uam #heliport #vertiport #vtol #evtol #advancedairmobility