The Vertical Space

Professor Donald R. Sadoway is one world’s top experts on energy and batteries – one of the most important topics in our society, in aviation, and in AAM. There are few more important topics to our industry – and who better than Professor Sadoway to educate us on the topic – and talk about where we are and where innovation can take us.Professor Sadoway is the John F. Elliott Professor of Materials Chemistry in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. He’s the author of over 180 scientific papers and holder of 35 U.S. patents, is the founder of six companies, and his TED talk has been viewed over 2,400,000 times. In 2012 he was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Author of 'Where Is My Flying Car', J. (Josh) Storrs Hall, discusses the challenges and requirements of making flying cars a reality, the prevalence of battery-based EVTO UAM vehicles, the value of advanced air mobility and lessons from the automotive industry, the evolution of traffic laws, and the cost and value of flying cars.

Today we’re taking a look into the future of air traffic management with Chris Hewlett, a retired naval aviator with 30 years of experience in aviation operations, safety, modernization, and optimization of next generation aviation systems. In the conversation that follows, Chris offers thought provoking insights on how we as an industry should be thinking about the management of a truly integrated airspace system that’s agnostic to the type of user, be it small drones, general aviation, commercial aviation, or military aviation….and how current approaches to UTM are not quite aligned with this end goal. Chris draws parallels to best practices in the military, and talks about the pioneering work being done in North Dakota as part of the Vantis project. Enjoy the conversation with Chris!  

It was our great pleasure to have The Honorable Jim Burnley on The Vertical Space. Jim has a vast background and wealth of experience, including as the former United States Secretary of Transportation.  Jim provides his perspective on the free market, on transportation issues overall, on aviation, and how advanced air mobility fits into the big picture of transportation and logistics. Listen to Jim’s answer to the question of how he would evaluate a transportation system. We speak to many in our industry who are at times critical of our regulators – listen to Jim’s recommendations on working with regulators – a lesson for so many in our industry if they want to advance their technology. And listen to Jim’s recommendations to our entrepreneurs – how often do you directly hear recommendations from someone of Jim’s background and perspective? A smart, tough, experienced, knowledgeable national and global transportation leader who doesn’t hesitate to tell it like it is – enjoy this conversation Secretary Burnley. Thanks for joining us, Jim!  

Check out this insightful conversation with Jia Xu, the senior director of strategy for the unmanned aerial systems and urban air mobility at Honeywell Aerospace, where he leads strategy, business development, and M&A. Jia discusses how to increase access to and utilization of the vertical space. He also discusses AAM in general, autonomy, fly by wire, artificial intelligence – and use cases for AI, including defense. Listen to Honeywell’s strategy, dedication, and approach to AAM and how Honeywell is innovating from a fresh slate for AAM. Jia also talks about the megatrends in AAM and avionics, needed ground infrastructure, as well as opportunities for our entrepreneurs, how Honeywell works with startups, and investments being made in this space. A thoughtful, articulate, detailed, yet expansive discussion. Thanks Jia for joining us!

Bobby is a proven and remarkable entrepreneur and industry innovator. He has started and sold successful companies and is now pioneering service delivery with his start up, ‘Manna’ - a Drone Delivery as a Service business. Listen to what makes Bobby special, how Manna delivers value today, their tech stack, their essential value and competitive advantages, his comments on certification, and how they plan to scale. Additionally, listen to qualities he looks for in his new hires, the advice he gives to those starting a business, and those who he turns to for advice. There are common qualities of great innovators and business pioneers – see if you can identify those qualities in Bobby. Thanks Bobby for being our guest!   

In this episode we talk to Pasha Saleh, Head of Corporate Development at Alaska Airlines. Pasha is one of those industry leaders with a rare combination of experience in startups, large aerospace corporations, and management consulting – and on top of that he’s an airline pilot who still flies 737s at Alaska. This diverse background makes for an interesting perspective on the future of aviation – one that recognizes current times as the new golden age of aviation, but also tempered with a sense of realism known only to those that are deep in the aviation trenches. Among other things, we talk about Alaska’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040, technologies that will help decarbonize aviation, and the role of Alaska Star Ventures in helping the industry get there. Enjoy the conversation with Pasha!

Our guest is Peter Cerda – IATA’s Regional VP of the Americas. It’s a fun, fast-moving podcast. Peter provides a global perspective on a range of topics, including the role of commercial aviation and how it is recovering today – stronger in some areas more than others. Peter discusses how returning to 2019 performance isn’t good enough as well as commercial aviation’s sustainability goals. He provides his perspective on AAM – it’s challenges, and the value it may provide to the world’s travelers, including providing service to areas not served today, while maintaining today’s high safety standards. For our entrepreneurs – Peter discusses the importance of tech in achieving commercial aviation’s goals, what tech has worked, and what tech is needed for the future. Thanks for joining The Vertical Space, Peter!

Another stimulating podcast! In this episode, we interview Chris Anderson, the COO and Chief Product Officer of Kittyhawk. Foundational to this podcast is the importance Kittyhawk is placing on autonomy and an affordable aircraft. Listen to why Chris and Kittyhawk are so confident about autonomy. Also listen to our discussion on performance-based certification…about operating at automotive scale…which is critical for the affordable vehicle. Chris has a fresh perspective on infrastructure and infrastructure requirements …and where these aircraft may land…with a low-touch model. And for you entrepreneurs…what it will take to use the sky more effectively … and the fresh new opportunities in AAM. We also had to sneak in a few questions from his distinguished past – e.g., as the author of The Long Tail, and from his days at helm of Wired magazine. This is a long interview – but it’s a fun ride. Enjoy.

David Grizzle simply makes you think; he challenges how we’re thinking today around transportation – and has a vision for how our transportation will change and adapt. Listen to his thoughts and comments from his background as an airline executive, as a leader in Afghanistan in the early years as transportation was being established, and as the Chief Operating Officer of the FAA to realize that he speaks from experience. David has a refreshing perspective on how the change will occur – and that “muddling through” is the likely way to a different world vs. waiting for perfection, which may never come.