In the same Ohio river valley where the Wright brothers once stripped back the possibilities of aviation, a fresh chapter in air travel is set to unfold. A landmark agreement has been struck between the state and Joby Aviation Inc., consecrating the region’s position as the cradle of yet another ingenuity – large-scale manufacturing of advanced electric planes capable of vertical takeoff and landing.
Governor Mike DeWine, a keen futurist, lauds this innovation as the onset of air taxis, foreshadowing an era of cleaner air travel while earmarking the agreement as a large-scale employment node and a symbol of Ohio’s forward-thinking vision.
A stir in the air travel landscape is discernible worldwide, with electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft inching towards mainstream endorsement. Developers are buoyantly painting a picture – skies crisscrossed with these electric planes shuffling individuals or small groups between rooftops, parking garages, and their respective destinations, allowing them to rise above and skip the gridlocks below. The approach grapples with nascent concerns about noise pollution and energy demands.
Touted as a realization of two decades of strategic planning, Joby’s first scaled manufacturing facility is slated for a 140-acre site at Dayton International Airport, a key location within a stone’s throw from the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratories nucleus.
The sturdy thuds of construction will amplify Dayton’s century-long reverberation as an aviation pioneer, as Ohioan leaders enthusiastically embrace this monumental boost to their local economy.
Dayton, home to the Wright brothers, and where the first U.S. airplane roared into the skies, was also the setting for Joby’s formal announcement and an honorary flypast of a replica of the Wright Model B Flyer.
Joby’s flagship prototype promises transport for five individuals at a speedy 200 miles per hour, with a maximum range of 100 miles. Tucked into its design philosophy is a soft acoustic signature barely noticeable in the urban humdrum. These futuristic aerial rideshares are targeted for mainstream operations come 2025.
Supported by industrial giants like Toyota, Delta Air Lines, Intel, and Uber, Santa Cruz-based Joby Aviation is an accomplished eVTOL firm, which, since its inception 14 years ago, aired its stock publicly in 2021 and also secured airworthiness certification from the U.S. Air Force.
The upcoming project, seeded with around $500 million and amplified with a $325 million incentive package from the state, JobsOhio, and local government, propels Joby’s mission to roll out up to 500 aircraft annually while creating 2,000 jobs. The company has also been pursued by the U.S. Department of Energy to propose the facility as a clean energy project.
Despite a highly competitive race, Joby zeroed in on Ohio, a decision motivated by the state’s rich legacy in aviation and a granular workforce, rather than the financial prospects. State leaders remain hopeful that this step will revive the region’s economy that took several hits, including loss of major manufacturing jobs and corporate relocations.
Joby operations and hiring will begin immediately from established buildings near the developmental site. The land acquisition secures sufficient space for a two million square feet manufacturing facility, with construction scheduled to begin by 2024 and production initiation in 2025.
Toyota will continue its advisory role, applying wisdom gained from the successful execution of Joby’s pilot production line in California, to the mass-scale production of its innovative aerial taxi.
As Ohio continues to channel its rich aviation heritage and makes strides in contemporary aerospace, other leadership factions are lobbying to secure the U.S. Air Force’s new U.S. Space Command headquarters or Space Force units for the state, linking Ohio’s strong historical ties with aviation as well as its homegrown astronauts, John Glenn and Neil Armstrong.
