Beta Technologies
Blade, the technology-powered transportation service, tested its first electric vehicle takeoff and landing of BETA Technologies ALIA-250 (eVTOL) aircraft in White Plains last week.
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The BETA Technologies ALIA-250 (eVTOL) aircraft, also known as an electric vertical takeoff landing aircraft, is known for its nearly silent flight. The aircraft can take off and land like a helicopter – with lift rotators on the wings – but it cruises like an airplane, according to Brandon Keene, chief technology officer of Blade. Keene also notes the ALIA-250 can gain a full charge in 50 minutes and works on “zero emissions.”
Helicopter noise has been a sticking point for the Stop The Chop Coalition, a nonprofit grassroots organization formed to ban the nonessential (tourist and commuter) helicopters over the NYC metro area while also supporting a ban of fossil-fuel based helicopters.
“With regard to the new electric helicopters tested by Blade, we were not invited to view the recent test flight in Westchester; therefore, we cannot comment on their acoustics (plus the public video did not include sound),” said Stop The Chop Board Chair Melissa Elstein. “We do hope that electric helicopters will be quiet, safe, non-polluting, and powered by clean, renewable energy. Additionally, until they are approved by the FAA and other government agencies, we will continue to urge for a ban of the fossil-fuel based choppers.”
Green Stock News reports the ALIA-250 noise profile is one-tenth that of a conventional helicopter, adding that Blade is “committed” to buying up to twenty ALIA-250s, which it will use at its Blade terminals.
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Blade CEO Rob Wiesenthal described the test flight demonstration as “a big milestone in our transition from helicopters to electric vertical aircraft, and we are pleased that our partners at BETA have designed the right aircraft with the requisite range, capacity, and noise profile, for use in our key markets, including our home base of New York City.”
BETA says the aircraft can carry upwards of five passengers with one pilot for 288 miles until the ALIA-250 needs a charge.
When everyone gets all excited about “flying cars,” we need to pause and consider what taking any moving vehicle, the size and weight of a car or even a lighter and smaller version with propellers and wings, through the impact of a collision with (a) another similar vehicle and/or (b) consider current taxis and cars jumping the sidewalk and crashing through a building lobby or plate glass store or restaurant window in tandem with the pedestrians harmed in the way of those vehicles.
Now, imagine raising those “cars” off the ground and having them fly around. (1) Who in God’s name is going to have the pilot’s license, experience and training necessary to drive AND FLY. (2) How are we going to ever protect from those flying vehicles and their “licensed pilots” accidentally swerving into apartment buildings on the 5th floor or the 40th floor and the ensuing crashing to the ground of all moving parts, concrete, bricks and glass? Taxi drivers seeking their taxi and limousine drivers’ licenses from all over the world, as represented as they are in New York City, are already of concern. Now we think it’s time for “air taxis” careening in and out of one another’s way up in the air, flying above us into buildings potentially? What are we smoking exactly?
Please tell me this post is satire. This article is about replacing existing helicopter taxis with an electric helicopter, not turning the city into the Jetsons.
FYI / Brandon Keene is the FORMER chief technology officer of Blade.
Well, this solves the noise problem, and that would be a good thing. But it doesn’t solve the danger problem. There have been multiple helicopter accidents in NYC over the years, with many injuries and many deaths. And in all but one case, these were either tourist or commuter helicopters, not NYPD, traffic or news helicopters.
When will we simply end this practice? It is dangerous, and it doesn’t even really help the City coffers (tourist and commuter copters bring in a miniscule amount of money to the City).
It is way past time to ban tourist and commuter copters COMPLETELY!
Blade is the main helicopter commuter transporter for the “‘Hattan to Hamptons” crowd, and Blade is not doing anything out of the goodness of their heart, but dealing with trying get around limited helicopter flights due to noise complaints at East Hampton Airport by going this electric route. Glenn in Brooklyn, NY.