Electric aircrafts coming to MacDill Air Force Base in 2025
TAMPA, Fla. - At the Tampa Bay Air Fest over the weekend, roaring planes were a thrilling sight. They also came with a lot of sound heard over South Tampa and beyond, but an unusual aircraft is coming to MacDill Air Force Base that is virtually silent.
Two Joby Aviation electric air taxis are scheduled to arrive at the base in 2025.
"I think the first thing you'll notice is how quiet it is, because you're used to seeing a helicopter that has a distinct, ‘wop, wop, wop.’ noise," said Lt. Col. John Tekell, an Air Force officer helping lead testing of the new electric flight technology.
The aircraft is called an e-VTOL using electric power to hover, take off and land vertically. Joby's aircraft also has a wing which allows it to fly horizontally like a standard airplane.
It carries a pilot and four passengers at 200 mph with a range of around 170 miles. It's not for combat, but it's being tested for moving personnel and logistical jobs around MacDill.
Jet engines will power U.S. warplanes for years to come, but some envision future generations of electric aircraft, built to military specifications for combat, that will be greener, cheaper, more powerful, and easier to keep in the air.
"For me to swap an electric motor versus a turbine engine is a completely different level of maintenance and skill set," said Tekell.
MORE: Tinker School brings military children together on MacDill AFB
Joby's electric prototypes were first tested by the military in California. MacDill will be the first base in the country to test them in actual operations. The manufacturer said Florida is also on its radar for introducing civilian air taxis.
"The towns and cities like Miami, Orlando and Tampa should be a great opportunity to deploy this aircraft," said Oliver Walker-Jones of Joby Aviation.
The service promises to lift people above traffic on the roads on demand. It could be the quiet way to fly in the future, as the military is set to give electric aircraft a new flight test at MacDill.
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