- TLH will be adding the airports first electric aircraft charging station. It was installed specifically for Beta's experimental electric aircraft.
- With a 50-foot-wingspan and a 40-foot tip and tail, Beta says it can hold five passengers and one pilot. It would charge in under an hour on empty.
- Watch the video above to hear from those in the aviation industry, and how the new addition will shape the future of flight.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
A new option for flights is coming to Tallahassee International Airport.
I'm Terry Gilliam in Southwest Tallahassee.
I look into how a new charging station at the airport could help shape the future of flight here.
"I absolutely think the folks in the local area will definitely benefit from this!"
Good benefits— for the environment, for neighbors, and the Tallahassee International Airport. Chris Caputo, the Director of Flight operations at Beta Technologies says TLH's new addition will help shape the future.
TLH will be adding the airports first electric aircraft charging station. It was installed specifically for Beta's experimental electric aircraft.
With a 50-foot-wingspan and a 40-foot tip and tail, Beta says it can hold five passengers and one pilot. It would charge in under an hour on empty.
Wednesday, City leaders, TLH, Beta Technology, and others came together at Million Air to have a formal ribbon cutting to unveil this new addition.
All this was accomplished by the partnership with TLH and Beta Technologies, a process that took well over nine months.
"It takes a lot of hard work, a lot of visionary leadership both at the state level and local level— here at the airport, and Beta technologies."
The charger at TLH joins several others across the state of Florida. I asked Caputo how exactly does this benefit people in surrounding neighborhoods.
"If you think about what the mission, we're on; we're onto increased healthcare to rural Americans, increased access to e-commerce, increased regional passenger transportation. I absolutely think it'll have an immediate impact."
That impact could create easier travel for neighbors as well. David Pollard, Director of Aviation at TLH explains how it works.
"What you'll see is that these operate somewhat similar to a helicopter. They'll propellers on top of the aircraft, and as we move forward it'll move quieter and be sustainable."
Sustainability and innovation, it's what's the people involved in this industry want to see.
The aircraft would also be low-cost. Beta says these aircraft would use just $15 dollars worth of energy for a flight from tallahassee to gainesville. Right now, that's less expensive than a mere three gallons of jet fuel. In Southwest Tallahassee, Terry Gilliam, ABC 27.
