Tag Archives: flying

David Paton, the visionary behind the Flying Eye Hospital, passes away at age 94

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David Patong, an innovative and ideal ophthalmologist, initiated Project Orvis, where he transformed United Airlines jets into flying hospitals, transported surgeons to developing nations, trained local doctors, and passed away on April 3 at his residence in Reno, Nevada.

His son Townlee confirmed his demise.

Dr. Patong (pronounced Pay-Ton), the son of a renowned New York ophthalmologist and descendant of Iranian Shah and financier J. Pierpont Morgan, taught at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins University in the early 1970s. He was disheartened by the rising number of preventable blindness cases in remote regions.

In his memoir “Second Sight: A View from The Anay Doctor’s Odyssey” (2011), he wrote, “We needed more ophthalmologists… but also needed to enhance medical education for existing physicians.”

Considering various options like shipping equipment trunks and using medical ships similar to Project Hope, he ultimately founded Project Orvis in 1973 with the support of wealthy individuals like Texas oilmen Leonard F. McCollum and Betsy Trippe Wainwright.

After the moon landing in 1969, Dr. Patong believed that the concept of Moonshot was feasible. He envisioned converting large aircraft into operating rooms, educational classrooms, or any required facility.

He relentlessly sought ways to obtain an airplane, approaching the military and universities without success. Dr. Patong, described by Bruce Spivey as charming and unrelenting, eventually raised the necessary funds himself.

In 1980, with the help of Betsy Trippe, he secured a donated DC-8 Jet from United Airlines to create a flying hospital. This marked the beginning of life-changing missions to various countries where local health workers witnessed surgeries in specially-equipped classrooms onboard.

The Flying Eye Hospital facilitated surgeries in multiple nations like Peru, Jordan, and Nepal, receiving visits from prominent figures like Mother Teresa and Fidel Castro. Their impactful work caught the attention of media outlets like the Sunday Times, sharing stories of patients like Julia.

Julia’s transformative surgery showcased the effectiveness of their efforts in restoring vision to the visually impaired. Despite challenges, the procedure led to profound moments of discovery for Julia as she regained her sight gradually.

Born on August 16, 1930, in Baltimore, David Paton hailed from a family with a rich medical background. His upbringing in Manhattan and exposure to eminent personalities shaped his journey towards medical innovation.

His formative years were filled with experiences among intellectuals and socialites, leading to his academic pursuits at Hill School and Princeton University. He maintained close ties with lifelong friend James A. Baker III while excelling in his medical career.

In addition to his contributions to Project Orvis, Dr. Paton served as a distinguished medical director in institutions like King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital. His dedication to providing eye care to royalty in Saudi Arabia reflected his commitment to improving global healthcare.

Although his formal ties with Project Orvis ended in 1987, Dr. Patong continued to offer guidance informally. The organization, now known as Orbis International, has expanded its operations with a fleet of planes and a robust track record of surgeries and training sessions.

Orbis International’s enduring impact is a testament to Dr. Patong’s visionary approach to healthcare. The organization’s innovative use of airplanes as a platform for medical missions has revolutionized the way eye care is delivered globally.

Source: www.nytimes.com

Astronauts launching into space in Boeing capsules reduce the number of pairs flying together

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A team of four astronauts is gearing up for launch to the International Space Station on Wednesday. This marks the beginning of the process to bring NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Willmore back to Earth.

Williams and Wilmore have been capturing public interest since their launch in June on a test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft. Initially planned to stay at the space station for a week, they are now set to spend nine months in orbit.

During their journey to the ISS, the Boeing capsule faced various challenges like thruster malfunctions and propellant leaks. Consequently, NASA decided to return the Starliner craft to Earth with only one crew member, leaving the two astronauts aboard the orbiting outpost.

NASA then rearranged crew rotations to free up seats on the SpaceX Dragon Capsule for Williams and Willmore to return home.

On September 29th, the capsule arrived at the space station carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos astronaut Aleksandr Gorbunov. The plan is for Willmore and Williams to hitch a ride back with them at the end of their approximately six-month mission.

As the new crew gets ready to launch, NASA astronauts Anne McLain and Nicole Ayers, Japanese astronaut Onishi, and Russian astronaut Kiril Peskov are set to blast off into space on Wednesday aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the Crew-10 mission.

The liftoff is scheduled for 7:48pm from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The Crew-10 astronauts are expected to dock around 6am on Thursday and reach the space station later that day, taking over from the current crew of four.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The Magnificent Giant Flying Squirrel that Roamed North America

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Paleontologists have discovered 4.9 million (Early Pliocene) fossilized ruins of an extinct flying squirrel Myopetaulista Webbi Tennessee, USA. Generation of the genus Myopetaulista Eastern North America is bewildered because it is separated from the known geographical range of the genus and the extent of organisms of its sister species. Petaurista. Researchers assume that Myopetaulista which is linked to a warm forest environment and was dispersed across North America through the Beringland Bridge during the warm phase of the early Pliocene.

The lifespan of a flying fossil squirrel Miopetaurista neogrivensis It indicates that the animal is ready to land on a tree branch. Image credit: Oscasani Sidro / ICP.

Myopetaulista Webbi It jumps over the sky in what is now southern Appalachia, sliding over rhinoceros, mastodons and red pandas.

New materials of this kind have been discovered in Grey Fossil Site In Tennessee.

“discovery Myopetaulista In North America, this genus was very unexpected because it is known only from Eurasia,” said Dr. Isaac Casanovas Bilar, paleontologist at Mikel Crusafont of paleontology at the University of Barcelona. .

“There have been some uncertain reports from Florida, but new specimens from the grey fossil site provide new information, with these giant flying squirrels coming together alongside other mammals around five million years ago. It helped me to make sure I crossed the bridge.”

According to paleontologists, Myopetaulista Webbi Probably closely related Myopetaulista Tarelionly known Pliocene Eurasian species.

“The Appalachians today may try to think of these ancient creatures as closely related to the squirrels that regularly see them,” the researchers said.

“However, their closest relatives are giant flying squirrels from Japan, China, and Indonesia.”

“These giant flying squirrels have a lightweight build, weighing around three pounds, and were pretty agile on the treetop.”

“When they arrived in Tennessee now, the world was much warmer than it is now.”

“Its warm climate allows squirrel ancestors to travel across North America and could slip through dense, damp forests like those preserved in the fossil records of grey sites millions of years ago.”

The new specimen is Myopetaulista A genus of North America.

“As the climate cooled over time, Pleistocene ice age led to the isolation of these giant flying squirrels in warm shelters like Florida, and ultimately contributed to their extinction.” Miquel Crusafont from the University of Barcelona.

“The Last American Myopetaulista It has lived for millions of years since the species of Eurasian of this genus disappeared.

Team's work It was published in Journal of Mammalian Evolution.

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M. Grau-Camats et al. 2025. Intercontinental Sliding: A Review of the North American Records of Giant Flying Squirrels Myopetaulista (Rodentia, Sciuridae) Description of new materials for the grey fossil site (Tennessee). J Mammal Evol 32, 8; doi:10.1007/s10914-025-09751-w

Source: www.sci.news

British flying taxi company seeks investors as funding runs low in the aerospace industry

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On a gloomy November day in England’s Cotswolds, a VX4 that looked like a cross between a plane and a helicopter rose from an airport runway, hovered a few feet off the ground before sinking.

It may not have reached that high of an altitude, but it was a seminal moment for British owner Vertical Aerospace. The company has received millions of pounds of support from British taxpayers but is running out of money.

The flight came amid tense negotiations with investors that could see founder Stephen Fitzpatrick lose control to a US hedge fund, with the electric aircraft tethered to the ground for safety. We showed evidence that it is possible to transport people without having to carry them.

Verticals have already experienced what can happen when things go wrong. On a sunny day in August last year, the adhesive holding the blades of one of its eight rotors in place broke, causing the unmanned aircraft to crash onto the runway. The 3.7-ton aircraft crashed into a 30-foot crumpled heap, its blade landing 50 meters away. There were no injuries.

The accident and financial difficulties highlight the difficulty of making flying taxis a reality. Almost a century of effort. Vertical announced on Tuesday that the date its first aircraft would receive approval from UK regulators to carry passengers will be pushed back by another two years to 2028.




Stephen Fitzpatrick founded Vertical in 2016. Photo: Geoff Overs/BBC/Reuters

Vertical initially claimed the aircraft would have room for four people, a range of 160 miles, a top speed of 150 miles per hour, and would enter service by 2025. Vertical chief executive Stuart Simpson confirmed to investors this week that the company had chosen the UK as its destination. A factory that manufactures 200 aircraft a year. But cautious regulators and suppliers paid a price for the ambitious schedule.

A number of startups are trying to develop flying taxis, known in the industry as electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles (Evtol). For several years, they seemed to be making rapid progress as investors sought empty Teslas, backed by cheap money.

Flying taxi companies such as Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation in the US and Volocopter in Germany have raised large sums of money and built flying prototypes. Three major aircraft manufacturers are participating in this competition through their subsidiaries: Europe’s Airbus, America’s Boeing, and Brazil’s Embraer.

Vertical took advantage of that wave. Fitzpatrick, an entrepreneur who also invests in F1 teams and derives most of his £800 million fortune from energy company Ovo, founded Vertical in 2016. The company was listed on the US stock market in 2021 with a valuation of $2.2 billion.

But rising interest rates and slow development are causing investors to pause before pouring in more money. Vertical’s stock price has fallen 95% since the coronavirus pandemic bubble, valuing it at just $110 million.

U.S.-listed peer Lilium filed for bankruptcy for its German subsidiary last month and is looking for a buyer to rescue it. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Chinese automaker Geely is in talks to bail out its Volocopter after its value also fell. Britain’s Rolls-Royce has scrapped plans for a flying taxi business, nearly three years after its plane broke the airspeed record.




A prototype flying taxi being developed in the United Arab Emirates has been unveiled at a taxi rank outside Charing Cross station in London. Photo: David Parry/Pennsylvania

An industry official said, “A large-scale bubble has occurred.” “We’re finally nearing the end.”

In the longer term, concerns remain about how flying taxis in crowded skies will be regulated. However, the industry received some positive news after US authorities issued regulations on how such vehicles should be operated and how pilots should be trained.

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Simpson told investors the company needs about $100 million to cover costs next year. Cash at the end of September was £42.8m.

If negotiations with major financial institutions are successful, the immediate funding crisis may be eased. Fitzpatrick and Vertical have been in talks for nearly a year with Jason Mudrick, an American distressed debt investor who made a fortune investing in “meme stocks” such as AMC Entertainment and GameStop during the pandemic. .

Mudrick proposed converting about half of Vertical’s previous $200 million in financing into equity in exchange for a cash infusion of up to $50 million.

However, in a letter to Vertical’s board last month, he said: “Mr. Fitzpatrick has refused to accept a contractual dilution of approximately 70% of his company’s shares, which he has repeatedly rejected. “There is,” he said.

Mr. Fitzpatrick is seeking a 30% stake, but the deal would leave existing shareholders with only 20% of the company. An agreement could pave the way for other investors to make new equity investments. Candidates could include Virgin Atlantic Airways, American Airlines, and previous investors such as Microsoft and control systems supplier Honeywell.

Vertical boasts a low-cost model of buying off-the-shelf technology from existing suppliers, but it could need $500 million to $1 billion to get through four years without revenue.

Despite investors expressing concerns about launch delays, Simpson said he was “optimistic” about the funding. But with Toyota investing another $500 million in Joby and Beta Technologies raising $300 million last month, some investors believe that if the technology can prove to work, the flying taxi company will still have the cash. He reassured them that they could secure the

“The funding environment is tough and there is a shakeout in the industry,” Simpson said. “I think we’ll be one of the winners.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Why Your Fear of Flying May Be Rooted in Your Butt: Psychologist Reveals the Secret to Overcoming It

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Recent news has not been favorable for those with a fear of flying. Reports of severe turbulence and mid-air door incidents can be distressing, especially for the estimated 5% of individuals who have a fear of flying.

With the summer holidays approaching, those of us with a fear of flying are preparing ourselves. Out of nearly two million flights in and out of the UK in 2023, only a small fraction experienced significant mechanical issues or worse.

A phobia often defies logic.

“When feeling anxious, the brain tends to exaggerate risks,” explains Professor Robert Baugh, Director of the Aviation Psychology Center. “While risks may seem more prominent and real, it doesn’t make them more likely to occur. You’re more likely to die from a donkey kick than from a plane crash.”

Baugh also acknowledges that fear of flying can be treated. As a pilot, Royal Air Force consultant, and fear of flying expert, he understands the obstacles individuals face.

Identifying the specific triggers is crucial to addressing flying anxiety. Techniques such as implementing cognitive and behavioral tools before boarding the flight can be beneficial.

Understanding flight mechanics and sounds can alleviate fears. Knowledge about what the pilot does during flight can provide comfort. Breathing techniques and muscle relaxation exercises can help manage anxiety during air travel.

For extreme cases, medication may be prescribed, and airlines offer courses for those with a fear of flying. Combining various techniques can significantly reduce flying anxiety and offer a sense of control.

About our experts

Professor Robert Baugh: Director of the Aviation Psychology Centre, psychologist, and Fellow of the British Psychological Society. Baugh has contributed to numerous publications on aviation psychology and human factors.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Insights into large pterosaur flying capabilities revealed by new fossils found in Jordan

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Paleontologists have unearthed the fossils of two different large azhdarchoid pterosaurs. Inabatanin Arabia And previously known species Arambrugiana Philadelphia — Discovered in Upper Cretaceous deposits in Jordan, the fossils have led researchers to hypothesize that not only could the largest pterosaurs fly, but that they may have had a different style of flight.

Inabatanin Arabia (Top) Flying while flapping its wings Arambrugiana Philadelphia (Below) Soaring like a vulture. Image courtesy of Terrill Whitlatch.

Pterosaurs are an extinct group of flying reptiles that existed from the Late Triassic until the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period.

They evolved powered flight about 50 million years before flight feathers appeared in the fossil record, and some achieved wingspans twice that of the largest flying birds (12 metres versus 6 metres).

“Our team was very surprised to find a three-dimensionally preserved pterosaur bone, which is a very rare occurrence,” said University of Michigan paleontologist Kerstin Rosenbach.

“Because pterosaur bones are hollow, they are extremely fragile and, if preserved, are likely to be found flat like a pancake.”

Dr. Rosenbach and his colleagues discovered two azhdarchoid pterosaur specimens in Jordan, one of which corresponds to a giant species. Arambrugiana Philadelphia (wingspan about 10 meters) and the second is a new, smaller species. Inabatanin Arabia (Wingspan approximately 5 meters).

They used high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans to analyze the internal structure of the wing bones.

“3D preservation is very rare, so we don’t have a lot of information about what the inside of a pterosaur bone looks like, so we wanted to do a CT scan,” Dr Rosenbach said.

“It’s entirely possible that nothing was preserved inside, or that the CT scanner was not sensitive enough to distinguish the fossil bone tissue from the surrounding matrix.”

“But fortunately, what we found was amazing, with exciting internal structures that were not only preserved but could be seen with a CT scanner.”

New specimens Arambrugiana Philadelphia Its wingspan was determined to be 10 metres, and the first details about the reptile’s skeletal structure were revealed.

CT scans revealed that the humerus is hollow inside, with a series of spiral ridges running up and down the bone, similar to the internal structure of a vulture’s wing bones.

The spiral ridges are thought to resist the torsional loads associated with soaring (sustained powered flight that requires flapping wings to launch and maintain).

The Inabutinin Arabian specimen is one of the most complete pterosaurs ever discovered in Afro-Arabia.

CT scans revealed that the structure of its flight bones is completely different from that of Arambourgiania philadelphiae.

The interior of the flight bone was crossed with an arrangement of struts that matched those seen in the wing bones of modern flapping birds.

This indicates that it was adapted to withstand the bending loads associated with flapping flight, and so it is likely that Inabatanin flew in this way, although it does not exclude the possibility that other flight styles may have been used from time to time.

” Inabatanin Arabia “It’s not uncommon, but it’s fun to see,” Dr. Rosenbach said.

” Arambrugiana Philadelphia It was totally unexpected and at first I had no idea what I was looking at.”

“Being able to see the entire 3D model, Arambrugiana PhiladelphiaI was really excited to see the spiral ridges on the humerus.”

The discovery of diverse flight styles among different sized pterosaurs is extremely exciting as it gives clues about how these animals lived.

It also raises intriguing questions, such as to what extent flight style correlates with body size and which flight style is more common among pterosaurs.

“We have very limited information about the internal structure of pterosaur bones over time, so it’s hard to say with any certainty which style of flight emerged first,” Dr Rosenbach said.

“If you look at other groups of flying vertebrates, birds and bats, you’ll find that wing flapping is by far the most common flight behavior.”

“Even soaring and gliding birds need some flapping to take to the air and continue flying.”

“This leads us to suggest that if flapping flight was the default state and was advantageous for a population of pterosaurs in a particular environment, in this case the open ocean, then soaring behaviour probably evolved later.”

a paper The paper on the survey results is Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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Kirsten L. Rosenbach othersNew pterosaur fossils from the Afro-Arabian Late Cretaceous provide insight into the flying capabilities of large pterosaurs. Journal of Vertebrate PaleontologyPublished online September 5, 2024; doi: 10.1080/02724634.2024.2385068

Source: www.sci.news

Top remote controlled helicopters: Must-have flying toys for 2024

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Despite the focus on modern technology like virtual reality and artificial intelligence, it’s important not to overlook the simple joy of traditional entertainment. Remote-controlled helicopters, a classic favorite, now come with a range of new features to enhance the experience.

If you’re in the market for a remote control helicopter, check out our list of top models below. We’ve curated this list based on extensive research and user reviews to cater to every budget.

What to Consider When Buying an RC Helicopter?

With various helicopter options available, it’s crucial to think about these aspects before making a purchase:

Flight Stability is key, so look for helicopters equipped with a gyroscope or stabilization system.

Consider the range of the remote control, especially for outdoor flights, and the battery life to determine how long you can fly before recharging.

Easy access to replacement parts is essential in the event of a crash, which can happen while you’re still getting used to the helicopter.

Top RC Helicopter Models

Blade Nano RC Helicopter S3 RTF

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The Blade Nano S3-RTF is designed for indoor flying, featuring a lightweight yet durable carbon fiber frame and high-performance rotor blades for stable and agile flight.

Equipped with a six-axis stabilisation system and coreless motors, this helicopter offers power and versatility. It also includes a 2.4GHz DSMX transmitter, rechargeable battery, and spare parts available online.

Syma X9 Flying Car

This innovative hybrid can switch between driving and flying modes. During flight, it can perform acrobatic flips using its four blades and features a six-axis gyroscope for smooth flying.

The aircraft also includes red and green LEDs for better visibility in the dark, with a flight time of approximately 6 minutes and USB charging. It has dual-speed modes, extra blades, and a driver for emergencies.

Syma 2nd Edition S107 S107G

The Syma S107G is a mini indoor helicopter with a metal frame, built-in gyro stabilization, and precise three-channel control. Powered by a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, it offers up to eight minutes of flight time and a 10-meter remote control range.

Laka Walkera V450D03

The Walkera V450D03 is an intermediate RC helicopter with a brushless motor for stability and agility. Its six-axis gyro stabilization system allows for precise maneuvers, with a carbon fiber frame for durability.

This helicopter features a three-bladed main and tail rotor, long flight times up to 16 minutes, and a 100-meter range with its 2.4GHz transmitter.

Sky Rover Voice Command Missile Launcher Helicopter

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This SkyRover helicopter features a unique voice command system for firing missiles and controlling the flight. With eight plastic missiles, wireless headsets, and dual blade control, it offers an immersive experience.

Syma TF1001

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This medium-sized Syma helicopter boasts drone-like design and stunt capabilities, including 3D flips and rolls. It features altitude hold technology, dual-speed modes, USB charging, and a durable metal alloy body.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Review of Flock: A Peaceful Flying Game Collecting Creatures, a Pure Bliss Experience | Games

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yesWhile the name might lead you to think of a game about herding sheep, it’s actually a lot stranger than that. teeth They’re sheep, but they’re fluffy flying sheep that float around after you as you ride on the back of a giant, colorful bird. Every now and then, they’re sheared and knitted into new jumpers or hats with pom-poms so the sheep look like naked, purple, aerial sausages with eyes. But the majority of your flock is actually made up of flying fish. Or are they fish? Some are curvy like eels, some moo like chickens, and some look like winged whales. Like we said, it’s pretty weird.

Your job in Flock is to find them in the wild, identify them from their short but varied and obvious written clues (“drooping proboscis,” “vertical stripes,” “often mistaken for a noisy radish”), and fill a field guide full of these big-eyed, flying-fish-like creatures. They all resemble sea creatures through a slightly surreal pop art filter, but are so well drawn that you can now tell the difference between a Cosmet and a Beul, a Thrips and a Rustic. Some camouflage among weeds and leaves, others flee when you approach, and others chirp at you while sunning themselves on rocks. You can find a piper to teach the birds to sing, and then collect them like a piper into a cloud of creatures that will follow you.

I’m still not very good at charming creatures. I can’t get the timing right and often end up frightening the birds with my off-key shrieks instead of leading them into the flock. But I morning It’s good at finding them. The flying is done for you. Birds fly around trees and mossy rocks automatically, so you’re free to observe your surroundings and listen for the chirps and twitters that announce the presence of undiscovered birds and fish. I navigated by sound as often as by sight. The nature-inspired soundscapes are one of Flock’s strongest features, along with the eye-catching art and cute, witty writing.

I enjoyed my few days with Flock, though I wish it were longer. There were some really interesting environmental puzzles that made me want to find other creatures hiding out on the plateau. Most creatures were easy to find, but a few required some fun deduction from a single sentence in the field guide. Once or twice, a creature in my entourage would tell me the location of another creature or help me find something, but most creatures just follow the player around and don’t do anything. I couldn’t help but imagine a more ambitious version of this game, one where the main creatures give you interesting abilities once you’ve filled out the field guide, and you can do things with your friends in races and challenges. But in under five hours, I’d done everything there was to do.

And yet I keep firing up Steam Deck just to fly around the swamps and moss forests for a few minutes – it’s so relaxing, so fun to look at, and so endearingly quirky that it stands out from the crowd.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Australia Unearths New Flying Reptile Fossil

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Australian paleontologists have discovered the fossilized skeleton of a previously unknown Anhangeria pterosaur, dating back 100 million years.

Reconstructing your life Haliskia petersenii Image courtesy of Gabriel N. Ugueto.

The newly identified pterosaur species lived in what is now northeastern Australia's state of Queensland during the Early Cretaceous period, about 100 million years ago.

Scientific Name Haliskia petersenii This flying reptile had a premaxillary crown and curved teeth.

It also had a long wingspan of about 4.6 metres (15.1 feet).

“Haliskia petersenii “About 100 million years ago, when much of central-west Queensland was underwater and covered by a vast inland sea, and on Earth where the southern Victoria coastline is now, it would have been a fearsome predator,” said Adele Pentland, a PhD student at Curtin University.

Fossilized remains Haliskia petersenii Kevin Petersen, curator of the Kronosaurus Corner Museum, in November 2021 Toule back formation Of the Eromanga Basin.

“Haliskia petersenii “The fossil is 22 per cent complete, more than twice as complete as the only other partial pterosaur skeleton found in Australia,” Mr Pentland said.

“The specimen includes a complete lower jaw, the tip of the upper jaw, 43 teeth, vertebrae, ribs, both wing bones and part of a leg.”

“There are also very thin and delicate throat bones present, indicating the presence of a muscular tongue, which would have been useful when eating fish and cephalopods.”

Pentland and colleagues Anhangeria is a group of pterosaurs known to have lived all over the world, including in what is now Brazil, Britain, Morocco, China, Spain, and the United States.

“The global nature of the Anhang-area pterosaurs, and in particular their success across Gondwana (e.g. in the Eromanga and Araripe basins), may have been made possible by niche partitioning within this clade,” the paleontologists said.

“However, rigorous testing of this hypothesis will require multiple locations and better time constraints.”

“Additional data on this clade are available Haliskia petersenii ” sheds light on the palaeoecology of Anhangeria pterosaurs and highlights the taxonomic diversity of these flying reptiles from the Cretaceous of Australia.”

Team paper Published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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A.H. Pentland others. 2024. Haliskia petersenii A new Anhangelian pterosaur that lived in the early Late Cretaceous of Australia. Scientific Reports 14, 11789; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-60889-8

Source: www.sci.news

From Rust to Riches: Flying Taxi Startup Transforms Ohio City’s Prosperity

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FDayton, in southwestern Ohio, has been fighting for a decade to break out of its Rust Belt past. New apartment complexes, hotels, and breweries cut into a landscape dominated by abandoned warehouses and general industrial decline. But today, that transformation is shifting gears and taking to the skies.

Hundreds of flight facilities will be built in the town where the Wright brothers pioneered manned flight 120 years ago. futuristic flying taxi Every year.



Joby Aviation plans to build electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft here in Dayton, rather than in its home state of California.

Joby’s Didier Papadopoulos cited several reasons for the company’s plans to hire up to 2,000 people at a time. $500 million facility It is scheduled to open next year north of Dayton.

For one thing, “aviation has an immense history. It’s the birthplace of flight,” Papadopoulos said recently. He also said, “Ohio has a talented and skilled manufacturing workforce and we look forward to hiring and training both local and national applicants.”

Some expect the aircraft, which is scheduled to debut at this summer’s Paris Olympics, to reshape not just air travel but the broader mobility industry. In recent years, many startups and established companies have entered electric flying vehicles, and the global eVTOL market is expected to reach a value of $1 trillion by 2040.

Joby positions itself as the “Uber of the sky.” The aircraft has space for one pilot and four passengers and can reach speeds of up to 200 mph (322 km/h). A test flight in November took the plane from Lower Manhattan to JFK International Airport in just seven minutes, compared to an hour by taxi or subway.

The company aims to operate commercial flights between New York City and Los Angeles in 2025. Taxi service from home to airport on Delta Airlines.

President Joe Biden is plowing billions of dollars into a new era of manufacturing, with much of the money going to the industrial Midwest as part of a broader move to reduce U.S. dependence on other countries for key technology products. is flowing into. Millions of dollars in government incentives are being poured into new semiconductor and other mobility projects in Ohio. michigan and other states are often associated with socio-economic decline more generally.

The move could be a major turnaround for Dayton, which has lost nearly half its population since the 1960s.

“Ohio is Advanced air mobility plans” said Ted Angell of the Dayton Development Coalition, Joby’s liaison. “No other state was leaning so far forward.”

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located a few miles east of Dayton, is the largest single employer in Ohio and boasts significant federal military research and development spending power, resulting in It is attracting a growing ecosystem of space partners and startups. area.

Nearby Springfield, a city of 60,000 people, has also suffered years of manufacturing closures, but the U.S. Air Force is helping build a new National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, which is expected to become a hub for the aviation industry. . korean companies And elsewhere too.

“For products like this, [Joby] Jennifer Clark, a regional planning expert at Ohio State University, said: “That’s just normal in the airline industry. Almost every airline you can think of does both defense and civilian manufacturing. The Dayton area knows that very well.”

While the creation of thousands of new skilled jobs in economically challenged areas like Dayton has been widely welcomed, some of these communities may bear the cost.

Dayton has long been known as a place with an abundance of affordable housing, but rising rental prices over the past year have pushed residents to form a tenant associationin other citylarge manufacturing plants fueled a significant increase in real estate prices.

Ohio state government is the largest Taxpayers $325 million in taxes We will support Joby’s facility construction.Montgomery County, Dayton was suggested Donate $1 million to the company as “development costs.”



“There’s a belief among economic development officials that doing all this recruitment, retention and expansion with individual companies is risky and not the best use of taxpayer dollars,” Clark said. Stated. “Most of the research shows that if we want to have sustainable economic development, we need to invest in our entire institutional infrastructure. But it’s a long game.”

Mr Joby’s initial announcement suggested 2,000 jobs would be created, but that number has now been reduced to approaching 1,200may rise.

Still, investment from companies at the forefront of mobility is seen as a welcome shot in the arm for a region that has seen decades of population decline. That’s evidenced by the fact that the new factory sits on what was once a U.S. Postal Service airmail facility.

Angell, of the Dayton Development Coalition, said many community colleges and universities in the area are adjusting by opening training programs to establish a pipeline of technicians for Joby and other airlines. Ta.

“I can’t tell you how many tours I’ve done with school kids,” he says. ” [new] A flying revolution is happening here. ”

Source: www.theguardian.com