Edited by: TJVNews.com
The New York based short distance aviation company Blade which has made a name for itself for its luxury helicopter rides, is now saying that they want to lower the sound level on helicopters and private jets that shuttle between New York and the Hamptons. The company has told the New York Post that they plan to achieve the cessation of noise pollution in the city with the assistance of a “newfangled, super quiet flying machine.”
Speaking to the New York Post on Tuesday, Blade representatives said that they had recently concluded an agreement with Beta Technologies to buy 20 “electric vertical aircrafts,” or EVAs, to add to its fleet in 2024.
Because drones are becoming the norm in terms of delivering items and now people to their selected destinations, they are now being utilized by Blade. The drones appear to be part helicopter and part private plane, with rotor blades in the rear and on the wings, according to the Post report. The smaller blades and electric engines of the EVAs allow them to fly without making an unbearable and total racket, the Post report added.
Blade Chief Executive Rob Wiesenthal told The Post, “Next to safety, being a good neighbor is Blade’s number one priority. We have been working on our transition from helicopters to quiet and zero emission Electric Vertical Aircraft [EVA] for five years. These new aircraft are near silent in flight and extremely quiet during takeoff and landing.”
Because excessive noise related to helicopter landings and takeoffs in Manhattan has been a growing concern for its residents and visitors, Manhattan Rep. Carolyn Maloney has reintroduced legislation to significantly reduce noise levels and prohibit non-essential choppers to fly in New York City airspace, as was reported in the New York Post.
It appears that any new concept or idea has its own cadre of detractors and Blade’s new brainstorm is no exception. The Post reported that according to the group known as “Say No to KHTO,” which takes its name from traffic controller codes, Blade’s electric vehicles won’t do much to solve the problem of summertime air traffic congestion and noise over the Hamptons.
Patricia Currie, co-founder of the group told the Post, “You’re talking to someone who has lived under siege for 20 years, and frankly it’s too late for them to offer any remedy. It will be like locusts hovering above us.”
“I don’t see it [electric aircrafts] as a solution for this area,” Currie added in her conversation with the Post. “Far more environmentally-friendly options to the east end of Long Island are available, including the wonderful Jitney service and Long Island Railroad, and even driving.”
For his part, Blade CEO Wiesenthal said the new EVA fleet will be the first of many new electric aircraft in his company’s drone collection..He added that the electric vehicles will be more cost-effective than its gas-guzzling counterparts, as was reported in the NY Post.
The Post reported that although the company did not provide specifics, Wiesenthal estimated that traditional Blade rides from Manhattan heliports to NYC airports which generally cost between $95 and $195, will now be reduced to between $75 and $125 in the electric vehicles.
The electrical vehicle industry has become a national issue as the Biden administration has strongly advocated for its utilization and is putting aside $174 billion over the next eight years to support the industry’s growth.
The Post reported that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a recent interview with Yahoo News that it is “important to continue incentivizing and encouraging electric vehicle adoption. We got to make sure that electric vehicles are not just a luxury item, especially because the fuel savings from not having to pay to fill it up with gas will be especially meaningful to lower and middle income American car owners.”
