DAYTON — The future of aviation is happening right here in Dayton.
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As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Joby Aviation, a California company, is building a new form of air transportation.
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On Monday, Joby Aviation officials walked News Center 7’s Mike Campbell through how they make high-tech blades for the propellers of their electric air taxis.
The blades of the propellers are high-tech and secretive, as Joby is leading the way in this new form of transportation.
Joby tour guides and managers told News Center 7 that they take extreme measures to produce their carbon-fiber propeller blades.
“So the way the propeller is actually designed, it won’t make any noise than a city block would be. So when they land on a skyscraper on the hill pad, you won’t hear them coming or going,” Joby Manufacturing Ohio General Manager Tom Ubelhart said.
Ubelhart added that’s why many steps happen in a “clean room.”
Employees walk on sticky pads to remove dust from their shoes and put on white coats before entering work.
These precautions are to keep foreign objects of debris (FODs) away from the blades.
“There’s particle counters and humidity checkers in the room in multiple areas to maintain the quality of the area,” Ubelhart said.
Ubelhart and his Dayton team trained in California for weeks to begin operations here.
News Center 7 crews were at Joby’s headquarters early this year to take a look at the science behind air taxis and get a brief test flight demonstration.
“It’s very meaningful that we are going to have manufacturing happening again, that’s in Ohio, a part of Joby aircraft here in Dayton,” Dayton Development Coalition CEO Jeff Hoagland said.
The company wanted to manufacture in the Miami Valley, which has ties to aviation breakthroughs and is a place where it could find engineers and the technically qualified workforce it needs.
“As to jobs and the application of technology, we’re all in. We’re excited about what you’re going to do here,” Congressman Mike Turner said.
Once the air taxis are up and running, passengers will be able to get into them on helipads, like the one on top of the Oregon Garage on Fifth Street.
Joby’s electric air taxis may not see enough demand in Dayton right away. However, it could be perfect for people to get around bigger cities like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles quickly.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
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