The aviation industry of tomorrow looks a lot like the Jetsons

The aviation industry of tomorrow looks a lot like the JetsonsThe aviation industry of tomorrow looks a lot like the JetsonsImagine Planes fill the skies much like Fords fill the streets. A six-hour drive has become a quick 45-minute flight, and you, of course, choose the latter. Your plane barely makes a sound as it takes off.It is now an asset to live near an airport, and all of the United States airstrips are being used. Your life is like the Jetsons.Though this may sound like a sci-fi universe, it could be only a decade away, according toOmer Bar-Yohay. The Eviation CEO has been working to make that reality possible for a while now his electric nine-passenger commuter plane, the Alice, will debut in Paris this June.To Bar-Yohay, electric aviation is an inevitability, and the question is not if, but how soon.These are the good old days. Were living them right now, he said. This is what people felt in the jet age when it started in the 50s, and this is the electric age.To prepare f or the aircraft revolution, Eviation has teamed up withEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona, to work with fourth-year students on performance analysis, validation and testing as well as future electric propulsion and airframe design concepts, according to a press release. The new program - slated to begin this spring - is a win-win, saidEmbry-Riddle chancellor Dr. Frank Ayers.Were teaching them about their future. And when were working with a company like Eviation, were talking about the future, Ayers told Ladders.Indeed, Bar-Yohay heralds the electrical revolution to come as a paradigm shift. Since the aviation industry emerged during the brde century, he said, there has been major growth and change in how we live our lives, from waging war to taking a vacation. In many of those practices, flight is involved.And yet, Bar-Yohay said, the aviation industry has gone through a period of stagnation.The planes look like a tube with a wheel stuck to the bottom of th em. Thats about it, he said.In contrast, Eviations the Alice is sleek and tailored, with attractive oval windows and a thin facade. But thats not what makes it especially innovative. Its pioneering spirit comes from staggeringly low operating costs and environmental sustainability.Bar-Yohay said direct operating costs for Alice will fall around $200 an hour. Thats hundreds if not thousands less than similar models that dont rely on electric energy. And by getting rid of fuel altogether, Eviations electric aircraft are not only reducing noise pollution but are generally friendlier for the environment.Because civilian aircraft and aircraft engines account for $99 1000 milliarden of U.S. exports, a radical change in plane technology could have a major impact on the American workforce. Bar-Yohay said basic skill sets still lie in fields that already exist Computer science, electrical engineering, systemic solutions, automation, autonomy, etc.But the new, more efficient aircraft will als o demand changes in industries related to air travel. How will people book a ticket on a nine-passenger plane? How will they connect with other travelers going to similar locales? The new technology will mandate entirely new structures by which people use transportation so that theres an affordable Uber or Lyft for regional air.For now, Bar-Yohay and Ayers are focusing on training the engineers of tomorrow so theyre prepared for the electric age. And Ayers, who is a pilot, seems excited by the prospect.I cant wait to go fly this thing, he said.