GoFly, Author at GoFly Prize - Page 7 of 10 GoFly Prize

Designing and building a personal flying device is hard enough, but making it safe for use by the public is a whole other challenge. For the teams competing in the GoFly Prize, safety will be a priority, and their aircraft will have to meet strict standards to ensure their security.

According to Jon Beatty, president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation, a GoFly Prize partner, there’s no way to completely eliminate risk in flight — we are, after all, defying gravity. But, understanding the specific sets of risks involved with different aspects of aviation, including takeoff, landing and everything in between can help mitigate potential threats.

In the Q&A below, Beatty explains why assessing risk will be key for GoFly Prize teams.

GoFly: What made you pursue a career in the aviation industry?

Jon Beatty: My father was an aerospace engineer, and he always seemed to enjoy it. It led to him having a full and exciting career. I remember him being excited about going to work every day. There was a great sense of camaraderie among the people that he met through aviation. It inspired me to follow a similar path.

GoFly: What about the GoFly Prize challenge drew your attention? What made you want to partner with GoFly?

Beatty: The GoFly Prize challenges the minds and hearts of all aviators to think outside the box and consider how they can develop safe, quiet, near vertical takeoff and landing personal flying devices. The way that aviation is going, that’s truly the next frontier.

GoFly: Safety is going to be very important for our competitors. What recommendations do you have for them with regard to making sure that the aircraft is safe and secure?

Beatty: The biggest challenge that the aviation industry is facing today is complacency. People have been lulled into a false sense of security that flying is completely safe and that there is no risk, that gravity doesn’t exist, and that all risks have been mitigated. That’s why complacency worries me the most.

People have to remember that safety is not about eliminating risk. It’s about identifying and mitigating risk associated with different parts of flight — takeoff, landing, et cetera — to an acceptable standard. The biggest thing that competitors need to avoid is complacency. They also have to anticipate all the risks involved with flying in general, as well as their specific device.

GoFly: As flying becomes more personalized and available to more individuals, how can the aviation community keep flying safe?

Beatty: The industry today has made phenomenal strides in the areas of safety, professionalism, and standards. As we start to integrate new and innovative types of aircraft into the national air systems, whether they are personal flying devices, drones, or other unmanned aircraft systems, the key is leveraging the existing regulations as well as developing new common standards so that everyone that shares the national airspace sticks to certain standards.

GoFly: What will be the biggest challenge for our competitors from here on out?

Beatty: The biggest challenge for our innovators is going to be production. Developing the ideas and creating proposals is really the easy part. The real challenge is going to be producing the devices and turning ideas into actual product — that’s where we’re going to see a lot of the competitors start to fall out.

The best way to avoid falling victim to this part of the competition is to not try to do it all alone. Leverage and learn from all the experienced professionals who are out there and who have offered their help, whether it’s mentors, masters, universities, or organizational partners. My advice would be to take advantage of the help that’s available.

GoFly: Where would you fly on your very own personalized flying device?

Beatty: If I had my very own personal flying device, I would fly to Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Editor’s Note: Over the next two years, we’ll be hosting a series of GoFly Master Lectures where industry experts share advice, insights, and answer questions from anyone interested in participating in the GoFly Prize.

For the latest in our series of “Master Lectures,” we welcome Dr. Akif Bolukbasi, senior technical fellow at Boeing. Dr. Bolukbasi is an internationally recognized expert in aircraft crash safety and impact dynamics. His technical knowledge spans multiple disciplines including structures and materials, dynamics, biomechanics, test and evaluation, subsystem design and integration, information technology, and computational methods. He was a program manager and principal investigator for over 20 IR&D, CR&D, and IAD projects. He was also instrumental in technology transition from R&D activities into Boeing products and is an accomplished author, presenting over 20 technical papers at industry conferences and been published in several industry journals.

He was one of the founding engineers of Simula, Inc., a small technology company specializing in aircraft structural crashworthiness and ballistic armor. He has been recognized for many accolades, including the AHS Jensen Award (2011) “Boeing Active Crash Protection System Development”, and served as the Technical Chairman of the 62nd AHS Forum, and currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of ASU Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Dept.

In this video, he lectures about aircraft crashworthiness and holds a question and answer session. If you have follow-up questions, check out current discussions on the GoFly forum or start your own thread!

For the latest in our series of “Master Lectures,” we welcome Dr. Inderjit Chopra, distinguished university professor, Alfred Gessow professor of aerospace engineering and director of the Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center at the University of Maryland. Dr. Chopra received his Sc.D. (Aero & Astro) from MIT in 1977 and joined NASA Ames/Stanford University Joint Institute of Aeronautics & Acoustics before joining the University Maryland as a faculty member in 1981. He has worked on various fundamental problems related to aeromechanics of helicopters including aeroelastic stability, active vibration control, composite blades, rotor head health monitoring, aeroelastic optimization, smart structures, micro air vehicles, and comprehensive aeromechanics analyses. He has been the principal investigator of six major research programs, served as associate editor major journals like the International Journal of Micro Air Vehicle (2013-cont.), and been a part of the advisory board of five journals. Chopra earned a number of prestigious awards, including the 2012 AHS Igor Sikorsky International Trophy and 2016 ASME Spirit of St. Louis Aviation Medal. He has been a member of the Army Science Board (1997-2002), NASA (NRC) Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (2007-12) and NASA (NRC) Research and Technology Roundtable Board (2011-15). He is a Fellow of AIAA, a Fellow of AHS, a Fellow of ASME, a Fellow of Aero Society of India, and an Honorary Fellow of AHS.

In this session, he lectures about the challenges and opportunities associated with small UAS and delivery drones, and holds a question and answer session. If you have follow-up questions, check out current discussions on the GoFly forum or start your own thread!

For the latest in our series of “Master Lectures,” we welcome Richard Golaszewski, partner and executive vice president of GRA Incorporated. Golaszewski has also conducted a number of assessments of technology development programs and written on the economics of aeronautical research and technology investments for NASA and other organizations. He was a member for the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board of the National Academies for six years, and was named a Lifetime National Associate of the National Academy of Sciences in 2003 for his significant pro bono involvement in its aerospace and air transportation activities. Golaszewski received a B.S. in Accounting (magna cum laude) from LaSalle College and an M.P.A. in Public Sector Management and Finance from the Wharton Graduate School, University of Pennsylvania. He was a military officer and helicopter pilot from 1967 to 1972.

In this session, he lectures about assessing new vehicle concepts and the demand for air travel, and holds a question and answer session. If you have follow-up questions, check out current discussions on the GoFly forum or start your own thread!

Today, GoFly is thrilled to announce that we have welcomed Pratt & Whitney into the GoFly universe as our newest corporate sponsor!

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. At the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, England, Pratt & Whitney unveiled their commitment to joining the GoFly community. Speaking alongside GoFly and Grand Sponsor Boeing, Pratt & Whitney announced their sponsorship of the $100,000 Disruptor Award, which will be presented to one team that is truly innovative, going beyond in developing their personal flying device for the competition. The winner of the Pratt & Whitney Disruptor Award will be announced at GoFly’s Final Fly-Off event in October 2019.

Through the Disruptor Award, Pratt & Whitney will recognize groundbreaking ideas, awarding originality and innovation in their purest sense. As a sponsor, Pratt & Whitney will support the GoFly’s Masters & Mentors program by providing mentors and lecturers to help GoFly Teams around the world develop the future of flight.

As a leader in flight and innovation for more than 90 years, Pratt & Whitney makes an exciting addition to the GoFly family. Support from one of the biggest names in aviation allows GoFly to further its mission to catalyze the creation of personal flying devices and inspire the current and next generation of innovators.

We hope you are as excited as we are to welcome Pratt & Whitney into the GoFly community as they help us all to realize our collective dream of developing safe, quiet, ultra-compact personal flying devices capable of near vertical take off and landing. Together, we will make people fly!

For the latest in our series of “Master Lectures,” we welcome Lori Hoberman, founder of the Hoberman Law Group and co-founder of Mojiva Inc. Hoberman is a well-known force in the New York City venture community. As a lawyer and mentor, she advises entrepreneurs and their investors on how to build successful businesses and strategically guides them through the emerging, later stages and exits of their companies. Hoberman also works with clients in a range of industries, including software, mobile, biotechnology, AI, fintech, insurtech, fashion, e-commerce, consumer products and advertising. Additionally, she counsels angel and institutional investors in their investments and in the formation of investment funds.

Hoberman also co-founded mobile advertising company, Mojiva Inc., and is an angel investor. She is a frequent speaker and media resource on entrepreneurialism. She is a mentor to 37 Angels, serves as an advisor to the Queens College Tech Incubator and formerly chaired the NYC Chapter of the MIT Enterprise Forum. After years of running the venture practices in several New York City law firms, Hoberman launched The Hoberman Law Group in the fall of 2014.

In this session, she lectures about starting up effectively and holds a question-and-answer session. If you have follow-up questions, check out current discussions on the GoFly forum or start your own thread!

For the latest in our series of “Master Lectures,” we welcome Frank Occhiuti, partner at O&R Patent Law. Occhiuti works closely with clients ranging from larger corporations requiring help in managing their patent portfolios to smaller privately held companies. Prior to his career as a patent attorney, Occhiuti worked for more than 10 years as an electrical engineer, designing and developing RF/microwave components and subsystems, including transceivers, amplifiers, filters, and mixers, for use in high-frequency communications and defense systems. Aside from work relating to his specific technical background, Occhiuti represents clients in a broad range of technologies, including telecommunications, semiconductor fabrication, power distribution, computer architecture, and medical devices.

In this session, he lectures about protecting intellectual property and holds a question-and-answer session. If you have follow-up questions, check out current discussions on the GoFly forum or start your own thread!

Flight enthusiasts are a tightly knit group. United by their love of flying, they often share a passion not only for being up in the air, but also for designing and building the aircrafts that take them there.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) brings these dedicated individuals together, offering them an avenue to connect with fellow aviation aficionados, share ideas, test new machines and devices, and look ahead to the future of flight. As a GoFly Prize partner, the EAA has extended discounted membership invitations to GoFly prize competitors.

In the Q&A below, Dave Chaimson, vice president of marketing and business development at the EAA, shares what makes the aviation community unique, and explains why it’s important for GoFly Prize competitors to leverage the vast network of resources and support available to them.

The following is an edited transcript of the discussion.

GoFly: When did you first fall in love with flight?

Dave Chaimson: I’ve always had a fascination with flight and I’ve been coming to EAA’s AirVenture Oshkosh [an annual gathering of aviation enthusiasts] since the 80s. I didn’t have the opportunity to become a pilot until much later in life, but I’ve been passionate about aviation for a long, long time.

GoFly: What has been your proudest career moment to date?

Chaimson: I started at EAA in 2014 and it hit me when I was walking down to the AirVenture grounds in the summer of 2014 that I now had a chance to participate and have an impact on one of the world’s greatest aviation events. I wasn’t just attending that year—I was very proud of the opportunity to actually play a role.

GoFly: As you think about the people that come together at AirVenture Oshkosh, what makes the aviation community unique and special?

Chaimson: The aviation community is a very strong one. EAA has been around since the early 1950s, and there’s something unique about what EAA does for the aviation culture and for the aviation lifestyle. We’re really about supporting flying’s grassroots – the community and recreational aspects of so many types of flying. We’re about family, youth aviators, and local chapters. There’s a special bond that holds us together.

GoFly: Do you see the definition of pilot changing or expanding? How about the definition of aircraft?

Chaimson: When you look back at Orville and Wilbur Wright, we think of them as pilots. We also think of people who fly 747s and 777s, or Cessna 172s as pilots. People that are putting drones and UAVs into the air are pilots, too – they just have a different perspective and visual point of view. Even though the landscape, the technology and the way we fly have changed, the definition of a pilot has always been someone who is responsible for the safe and legal operation of an aircraft. It is a wonderful responsibility to have.

The definition of an aircraft has probably changed more than the definition of a pilot. There are all sorts of new ways to think about flight, propulsion, noise, vehicle design, emissions and battery technologies.

GoFly: What excites you most about the GoFly Prize challenge?

Chaimson: I’m excited that it’s a step forward towards personal manned flight. GoFly is pushing the industry forward to design a more efficient vehicle that can take off in dense, urban, populated areas. The GoFly Prize has accelerated innovation by providing wonderful incentives—that’s what motivates people to continually improve upon what’s been done previously.

GoFly: What will be the biggest challenge for competitors as we enter Phase II, the building phase?

Chaimson: The biggest challenge will probably be seeing their design through to conclusion. There have been many started and failed attempts to achieve what GoFly Prize is trying to achieve. There are a lot of obstacles that will get in people’s way, and the key will be to stay motivated and take the design across the finish line.

Competitors will need to have proper planning in place, from a safety perspective and from a design perspective, to see this through. Forgive the cliche, but they have to keep their eye on the prize.

GoFly: What advice can you share with competitors?

Chaimson: I would encourage them to build as big of a resource network as possible. At EAA, for example, we have people that have built thousands of airplanes and have a vast amount of experience in airframe design and in power-plant structures. They know how to safely build something that can be flown, whether it’s an ultralight aircraft, a twin aircraft, a high-performance machine, a simple aircraft, or something that uses glider technology. We have a vast amount of resources that I would encourage GoFly Prize competitors to seek out.

Besides building a network, my advice to competitors is to make sure that you understand what’s ahead of you, and don’t take any shortcuts.

For the latest in our series of “Master Lectures,” we welcome Nick Methven, senior vice president of underwriting at Global Aerospace. Methven has been at the organization for almost 16 years. He earned his MBA from the University of Delaware in 2004 and is an expert in insurance nuances.

In his lecture, he talks about tackling the challenges of procuring insurance and holds a question and answer session. If you have follow-up questions, check out current discussions on the GoFly forum or start your own thread!

For the latest in our series of “Master Lectures,” we welcome Damon Henry, CEO of Asylon, a drone infrastructure company. Henry has been involved in the RC/drone industry for 15 years. After graduating from MIT, he went on to graduate from GE’s Operations Management Leadership Program (OMLP) where he ran several military manufacturing lines for aircraft including V-22 and P-3. While in these positions, Damon received his Green Belt in Lean Six Sigma and manufacturing resource planning. His most recent endeavors involved structural and payload design for advanced rotorcraft and small UAVs at the Boeing Company.

In this session, he lectures about building drones and holds a question-and-answer session. If you have follow-up questions, check out current discussions on the GoFly forum or start your own thread!