eVTOL Vertiport coming to Oshkosh
Volatus & ResilienX Building the 'Tesla Supercharger' of the Sky in Oshkosh
Vertiports, vertiports, vertiports. This is a new buzzword in the world of flying cars and eVTOLs - it’s sort of like a mini airport, but all high tech, energy efficient, and saavy.
Now brace yourself - the folks at Volatus Infrastructure & Energy (VI&E) Solutions and ResilienX are teaming up to build the first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) project in the Americas, and they're doing it in, of all places, Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The land known for cheese and the Packers is now getting its own futuristic skyport.
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (which is just a fancy way of saying "we agree"), Volatus, experts of vertiport construction and eVTOL charging stations, are joining forces with ResilienX, pros in the traffic management software for unmanned aerial systems (UAS) sector. It's an actual dream team.
The plan is to integrate ResilienX’s FRAIHMWORK(what?) software as the nerve center for the upcoming vertiport. It’s a smart system (like a brain) that keeps everything from battery charging to surveillance and comms running smooth.
A recent joint press release laid out their epic vision - a setup that includes all the necessities: weather sensors, networking equipment, and all the digital goodies needed to manage eVTOL operations without causing a mid-air fender bender.
Volatus is setting up shop at Wittman Regional Airport, the same place that hosts the EAA’s AirVenture, the largest airshow in the US. They're planning to roll out the red carpet with a fancy terminal, a landing pad, and an eVTOL charging station. All this for a cool $500,000 (how is this possible?). Volatus CEO Grant Fisk explains, this is “by a very large margin the most affordable, cost-conscious eVTOL infrastructure option out there.” From that price point, I have to say that I agree with him. But it raises some concerns for me, safety wise - can you put a stable and functional vertiport together for that price? Is there any profit margin? We will find out soon enough!
Anyway, keep your eyes peeled, because Oshkosh is about to get a whole more futuristic. Who knows, maybe soon you'll be catching an eVTOL instead of a cab to get to your next cheese tasting.
Volatus link: https://volatusaerospace.com/