The largest gathering of electric aircraft ever assembled just happened at Oshkosh Air Venture, revealing a market far broader than the flying car narrative. Lisa Wright, founder of Landings, attended both the main EAA Air Venture event and the Vertical Flight Society's Electric Aircraft Symposium, and her observations challenge the dominant industry story.
While eVTOLs like those from Joby and Archer were present, Wright noted that many traditional aircraft are also converting to electric. Cessna Caravans that land on water are being electrified, and there were many Pipistrels and eBeavers flying. These conversions are operational now, not waiting for FAA certification, expanding the use case ecosystem immediately.
The market is broader than expected, with companies like Air EV focusing on producing 30,000 aircraft a year, aiming to sell them like cars. This automotive-scale production vision represents a fundamental shift, enabled by new Mosaic rules that open up opportunities for light sport and non-commercial aircraft. Skyfly is also pursuing similar approvals, freeing them from traditional restrictions.
A magical moment occurred during Tim Jackson's presentation when a Beta aircraft took off outside, and the audience ran to watch it fly. Beta reported that particular aircraft has flown 60,000 miles, and their test fleet has accumulated 175,000 miles. These aren't just prototypes; they're generating real operational data for certification and readiness.
Walking through 700,000 attendees and 20,000 planes, Wright saw the diversity of aviation design, from 70-year-old aircraft to new ones, all different. This highlights that there isn't one right way to build an eVTOL or one correct charging standard. The industry is in an experimental phase, which is how aviation innovation has always worked.
The real market opportunity extends beyond passenger vertiports. It includes rural networks for traditional aircraft conversions, emergency services, agriculture, and logistics. The infrastructure opportunity is arriving now, across multiple aircraft categories simultaneously. Landings is building North America's first comprehensive network of vertiport landing and charging infrastructure, with a planned network of 2,000+ rural locations. For more information, visit landings.co/solutions.
