Sustainability In The Air How REGENT is creating a fundamentally new mode of transportation with Seagliders
In this episode, we speak with Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO of REGENT, who shares how the company is redefining travel with their all-electric Seagliders.
Thalheimer discusses:
- Solving the regional travel gap: How seagliders address the transportation problem on 50–200 mile coastal routes, creating a faster, cheaper, and greener alternative for the 40% of the world’s population living in coastal communities.
- Three breakthrough technologies in one vehicle: How REGENT combines wing-in-ground effect aerodynamics, hydrofoil systems (providing five feet of wave tolerance).
- Maritime certification, not aviation: Why seagliders operate as vessels under Coast Guard and IMO jurisdiction rather than FAA oversight, with operators certificated as master mariners rather than pilots—solving the regional pilot shortage whilst creating a six-week training pathway for professional mariners.
- Commercial and defence applications at scale: How REGENT has secured over $10 billion in orders from airlines, ferry operators, and energy companies, with use cases ranging from commuter services to offshore wind farm logistics and military operations.
- Infrastructure advantage and electrification: Why existing docks can accommodate Seagliders with minimal modification, creating “high-speed rail without the billions in rail infrastructure” whilst leveraging emerging port electrification efforts from the cruise and ferry industries.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Nathan Millecam, President & CEO of Electric Power Systems (EP Systems), where he talks about designing the ideal battery to power electric aircraft. Check it out here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air: Volume 2’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More:
REGENT Craft successfully conducts high-speed test of its electric ‘Seaglider’ - MSN
This ‘flying boat’ could be the future of travel in Scotland - The Independent