The Vertical Space
by Jim Barry, Peter Shannon & Luka Tomljenovic
Latest episode
#116 Jessica Brightman, FAA: 2.2 Million BVLOS Flights Before Part 108
#116 Jessica Brightman, FAA: 2.2 Million BVLOS Flights Before Part 108
About this podcast
The Vertical Space is a podcast at the intersection of technology and flight, featuring deep dives with innovators, early adopters, and industry leaders.
We talk about the radical impact that technology is creating as it disrupts flight, enabling new ways to access the vertical space to improve our lives - from small drones to large aircraft. Our guests are operators and innovators across the value chain: airframers, technologists, data and service providers, as well as end users.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 116 episodes
- #116 Jessica Brightman, FAA: 2.2 Million BVLOS Flights Before Part 108 · 1 h 13 min · Episode 116In this episode we speak with Jessica Brightman, Policy & Standards Branch Manager in the UAS & Advanced Technologies Division of the FAA’s Office of Advanced Aviation…
- #115 Anders Forslund, Heart Aerospace: First flight of the world’s largest electric aircraft · 1 h 12 min · Episode 115In this episode we speak with Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, which is building the ES-30, a clean-sheet 30-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner. We…
- #114 Marc Allen, Electra.aero: Changing aviation without going vertical · 1 h 18 min · Episode 114In this episode we speak with Marc Allen, CEO of Electra.aero, which builds the EL9, a nine-passenger hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in roughly 150 feet using…
- #113 Andrew Clare, Elroy Air: Scaling Autonomous Cargo · 1 h 10 min · Episode 113In this episode we speak with Andrew Clare, CEO of Elroy Air, which builds the Chaparral, an autonomous hybrid-electric VTOL that hauls cargo in detachable pods for middle-mile…
- #112 Lauren Flanagan, Sesame Solar: The fuel convoy is the target · 1 h 8 min · Episode 112In this episode we speak with Lauren Flanagan, CEO of Sesame Solar, which builds mobile nanogrids. The product is a self-contained unit that generates its own power from solar…
- #111 Libby Bahat, Israel Civil Aviation Authority: Flying civilians into a war zone · 57 min · Episode 111Libby Bahat returns to The Vertical Space. Last time we talked to him about building an airspace for drones in peacetime. This time he's the regulator who decides whether a 777…
- #110 Mike Stengel, AeroDynamic Advisory: Gulf crisis impact on air travel · 59 min · Episode 110We sat down with Mike Stengel of AeroDynamic Advisory to discuss what the US-Iran conflict is doing to aviation. The Middle East moves about 20% of global crude, and with the…
- #109 Admiral Phil Kenul: What flying into hurricanes taught him about drone regulation · 52 min · Episode 109Admiral Phil Kenul spent decades flying NOAA aircraft into some of the most dangerous weather on earth, including multiple seasons as a P-3 Orion hurricane hunter, before…
- #108 Alex List, FlyShirley: 'Shirley' there's an opportunity for AI in the flight deck · 1 h 8 min · Episode 108In this episode we sit down with Alex List, CEO and founder of FlyShirley, a startup building an AI copilot for the cockpit. Alex walks through what AI in aviation actually looks…
- #107 Robert Rose, Reliable Robotics: Congressional testimony and conveyor belts in the sky · 1 h 15 min · Episode 107In this episode we reconnect with Robert Rose, CEO of Reliable Robotics, fresh off his testimony before Congress on the state of advanced air mobility. Robert shares what most…
- #106 Koen De Vos: U-Space, U-Space… Where Art Thou? · 1 h 13 min · Episode 106In this episode we sit down with Koen De Vos, Secretary General of GUTMA, to unpack why U-Space still feels more aspirational than operational, and what aviation can learn from…
- #105 Ben Ivers, Boeing: Airspace modernization · 1 h 6 min · Episode 105In this episode, we sit down with Ben Ivers (Boeing’s Director of Emerging Technologies & Regulatory Strategy) to unpack a deceptively simple idea: airspace modernization isn’t…
- #104 Edward Barraclough, Drone-Hand: Why ranching will scale autonomy before defense · 1 h 12 min · Episode 104Autonomy may scale in agriculture long before it does in defense or UAM, and today’s guest makes a compelling case why. We speak with Edward Barraclough, founder and CEO of…
- #103 Ed Bastian, Delta Air Lines: Raising the ceiling of possibility · 53 min · Episode 103In this episode, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian breaks down what truly differentiates a great airline: people and culture. Ed shares why “take care of your people first” isn’t a…
- #102 Adam Woodworth, Wing: What aviation looks like at Google scale · 1 h 11 min · Episode 102Adam Woodworth, CEO of Wing (Alphabet’s drone delivery company), joins us to talk about making delivery ubiquitous and why drones should be an equal player alongside other…
- #101 Ryan Gury, PDW: Drones, Innovation, and Lady Gaga · 1 h 14 min · Episode 101Welcome to episode 101 of The Vertical Space. In this conversation, we sit down with Ryan Gury, Co-founder and CEO of Performance Drone Works (PDW). Ryan argues that “commercial…
- #100 Chris Hewlett, Project ULTRA: Why DoD will lead UAS integration · 1 h 30 min · Episode 100In this 100th episode, we sit down with Chris Hewlett, former Navy Commander and Director of Project Ultra, for a candid conversation about the realities of UAS integration…
- #99 Jia Xu, SkyGrid: Opening the sky for autonomous flight · 1 h 17 min · Episode 99In this episode, we welcome back Jia Xu, CEO of SkyGrid, to discuss the future of autonomy and shared airspace. SkyGrid is building a trusted airspace and operational integration…
- #98 Ryan Graves, ASA: UAPs as a wake-up call for airspace safety and innovation · 1 h 26 min · Episode 98Ryan Graves is a former U.S. Navy F/A-18F pilot and the first active-duty pilot to publicly report regular UAP sightings. In this episode, we explore what these encounters reveal…
- #97 Julie Garland, Avtrain: Drone business and regulation in Europe · 1 h 14 min · Episode 97In this episode we’re joined by Julie Garland, CEO of Avtrain, for a deep dive into the current state of the drone industry and regulation across Europe. Julie shares her…
