Editor’s Note: We’re excited to introduce you to the innovative, bold, and talented individuals competing in GoFly. Our teams come from all over the world, shaped by their diverse backgrounds and unique life experiences. We can’t wait to see what they’ll build, but in the meantime, get to know the people behind the devices.
Team DaVinci’s name might give you a hint about the driving force behind this group’s innovative device for the GoFly Prize challenge. Tri Dinh Quoc, who is based in Vietnam, says he has long been inspired by the research and work of Leonardo Da Vinci, and the team now wants to bring the inventor’s 500-year-old dream to life.
Read on to learn more about the team’s inspiration and vision for the future of flight.
How did you realize you were passionate about aviation and flight?
When I was a child, I always dreamed of flying like a bird in the sky, touching the clouds and seeing everything from a high altitude.
When did you decide to pursue a career in aviation?
I decided to pursue a career in aviation three years ago. I started to think about how a drone can carry a person, and I wanted to build a personal air vehicle that everyone could use. I want to build a device that will meet my vision of a safe, manned eVTOL drone that’s easy to use, compact, versatile and affordable.
Was there someone who inspired your interest in aviation when you were a child? Who did you look up to?
I’m a big fan of Leonardo Da Vinci and I want see his dream from 500 years ago come true.
What were some of your favorite courses in school? How did they enrich your understanding of aviation?
Physics in high school helped me understand the theory of flying. Microcontroller programing and embedded system courses at my university helped us build our flight controller. Beyond that, the ABU Robocon competition also helped us create the ESC motor driver and the structure for our PAV.
What excites you about GoFly?
Building a personal air vehicle has been our dream and target for a long time now, and GoFly has given us a chance to change the world.
What is your biggest challenge in the GoFly Prize competition currently? How do you plan to overcome it?
Finance, noise and a facility for testing. At the moment, we’re building our devices with our own money, but our money is limited. We also don’t have enough space for manufacturing and testing. And, the noise requirement is proving to be very difficult to meet as we continue testing.
What does the world look like after you create your flying device? How do you think you will change the world?
The sky will be full of flying people and air taxis will be picking up passengers from the tops of buildings to get people to their destinations. With more personal flying devices in the air, people will feel free and able to travel anywhere.
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