The state of Ohio and the Dayton Development Coalition are continuing talks to lure flying car manufacturers and suppliers to Southwest Ohio. They hope to make the state a leader in what's being called the third revolution of flight.
The National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence is nearly fully enclosed at the Springfield-Beckley Airport. When finished, the center says "it will facilitate collaborations between Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, the Ohio Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center, local colleges and universities and private industry, all to support the development of electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, vehicles and other Advanced Air Mobility projects."
The Dayton Development Coalition's Elaine Bryant says already a handful of flying car companies have a presence in Springfield and the state would like to have more.
"Our approach here is, come here to test. Come here to do your research and development. But stay here to build and deploy your assets," she says.
There is plenty of land available, according to the city of Springfield, who spoke to WVXU.
The 100-acre site has been authenticated by JobsOhio, meaning it is verified to have adequate utilities, water, sewer, gas and fiber. Eventually, AirPark Ohio will open a few hundred more acres to development.
Who's testing?
Joby, Beta and Lift have facilities at Springfield-Beckley and other companies may be coming.
"We're continuing to work with the companies to have them test here," says Bryant. "That is ongoing and we're continuing to work with the companies to understand where they are in their development process and their manufacturing process so we can connect them to not only Ohio suppliers but connect them to Ohio for their manufacturing operations."
Drones also play a key role at Springfield-Beckley. Medical uses may be sooner rather than later. WVXU reported on it in this story.
RELATED: Springfield breaks ground on Advanced Air Mobility Center
The director of the Hoxworth Blood Center is interested in using drones to transport blood. And hospitals like the Cleveland Clinic see eVTOLs and drones as a way to make health care easier for the patient. As it expands its tele-health, the Cleveland Clinic is trying to figure out how a patient can have a face-to-face appointment with a physician, get a prescription prescribed, and then have it delivered without leaving their house.
