This item
https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!

John Savard

Quadibloc <jsavard@ecn.ab.ca> writes:
>This item
>https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
>on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
>within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
>And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!

Joby had one of theirs visit the NYC heliport on the east river yesterday;
there's video floating around.

On Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 5:47:38 PM UTC-5, Scott Lurndal wrote:
> Quadibloc <jsa...@ecn.ab.ca> writes:
> >This item
> >https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
> >on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
> >within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
> >And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
> Joby had one of theirs visit the NYC heliport on the east river yesterday;
> there's video floating around.

I remember when there was a 6 minute helicopter service from roof of the
PanAm building on 42nd street to JFK.

That ended after a really nasty fatal accident.

pt

In <5b2992d6-171f-4203-8d26-96c230c20506n@googlegroups.com> "pete...@gmail.com" <petertrei@gmail.com> writes:

[snip]

>I remember when there was a 6 minute helicopter service from roof of the=20
>PanAm building on 42nd street to JFK.

I remember when there was a Pan Am building. And a Pan Am airline.
And, of course, the Pan Am space shuttle...

(the building is actually at 45th street, and is now known
as the Met Life [Metropolitan Life Insurance])

>That ended after a really nasty fatal accident.

Eyup. And the spinning rotor blades killed people on the ground...

--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]

On Tuesday, 14 November 2023 at 22:05:00 UTC, Quadibloc wrote:
> This item
> https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!

There is already a trademark on "Über"! :-)

On 11/14/2023 5:02 PM, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
> On Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 5:47:38 PM UTC-5, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>> Quadibloc <jsa...@ecn.ab.ca> writes:
>>> This item
>>> https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
>>> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
>>> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
>>> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
>> Joby had one of theirs visit the NYC heliport on the east river yesterday;
>> there's video floating around.
>
> I remember when there was a 6 minute helicopter service from roof of the
> PanAm building on 42nd street to JFK.
>
> That ended after a really nasty fatal accident.
>
> pt

Stevie Ray Vaughan: "On Monday, August 27, 1990, at 12:50 a.m. (CDT),
Vaughan and members of Eric Clapton's touring entourage played an
all-star encore jam session at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Alpine
Valley Resort in East Troy, Wisconsin. They then left for Midway
International Airport in Chicago in a Bell 206B helicopter, the most
common way for acts to enter and exit the venue, as there is only one
road in and out, heavily used by fans.[180] The helicopter crashed into
a nearby ski hill shortly after takeoff.[181] Vaughan and the four
others on board—pilot Jeff Brown, agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel
Browne, and tour manager Colin Smythe—died.[182] The helicopter was
owned by Chicago-based company Omniflight Helicopters. The Elkhorn
coroner's inquest found that all five men died instantly.[183]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan#Death

Lynn

Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>On 11/14/2023 5:02 PM, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 5:47:38 PM UTC-5, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>>> Quadibloc <jsa...@ecn.ab.ca> writes:
>>>> This item
>>>> https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
>>>> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
>>>> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
>>>> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
>>> Joby had one of theirs visit the NYC heliport on the east river yesterday;
>>> there's video floating around.
>>
>> I remember when there was a 6 minute helicopter service from roof of the
>> PanAm building on 42nd street to JFK.
>>
>> That ended after a really nasty fatal accident.
>>
>> pt
>
>Stevie Ray Vaughan: "On Monday, August 27, 1990, at 12:50 a.m. (CDT),
>Vaughan and members of Eric Clapton's touring entourage played an
>all-star encore jam session at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Alpine
>Valley Resort in East Troy, Wisconsin. They then left for Midway
>International Airport in Chicago in a Bell 206B helicopter, the most
>common way for acts to enter and exit the venue, as there is only one
>road in and out, heavily used by fans.[180] The helicopter crashed into
>a nearby ski hill shortly after takeoff.[181] Vaughan and the four
>others on board—pilot Jeff Brown, agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel
>Browne, and tour manager Colin Smythe—died.[182] The helicopter was
>owned by Chicago-based company Omniflight Helicopters. The Elkhorn
>coroner's inquest found that all five men died instantly.[183]"
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan#Death
>

Not sure I see the relevance. Helicopter crashes that kill celebrities
aren't uncommon - Bill Graham, Kobi Bryant come to mind immediately
not to mention the day the music stopped (albeit that was a Beechcraft
Bonanza).

(I saw Stevie at the Playboy Jazz festival in both 1985 and 1986;
the former was with Double Trouble, the latter was with BB King).

On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 9:05:00 AM UTC+11, Quadibloc wrote:
> This item
> https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
>
Not a big fan of having vehicles flying over major population centers

In article <JDV4N.21501$cAm7.17441@fx18.iad>,
Scott Lurndal <slp53@pacbell.net> wrote:
>Lynn McGuire <lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> writes:
>>On 11/14/2023 5:02 PM, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
>>> On Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 5:47:38 PM UTC-5, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>>>> Quadibloc <jsa...@ecn.ab.ca> writes:
>>>>> This item
>>>>>
>https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
>>>>> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
>>>>> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
>>>>> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
>>>> Joby had one of theirs visit the NYC heliport on the east river yesterday;
>>>> there's video floating around.
>>>
>>> I remember when there was a 6 minute helicopter service from roof of the
>>> PanAm building on 42nd street to JFK.
>>>
>>> That ended after a really nasty fatal accident.
>>>
>>> pt
>>
>>Stevie Ray Vaughan: "On Monday, August 27, 1990, at 12:50 a.m. (CDT),
>>Vaughan and members of Eric Clapton's touring entourage played an
>>all-star encore jam session at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Alpine
>>Valley Resort in East Troy, Wisconsin. They then left for Midway
>>International Airport in Chicago in a Bell 206B helicopter, the most
>>common way for acts to enter and exit the venue, as there is only one
>>road in and out, heavily used by fans.[180] The helicopter crashed into
>>a nearby ski hill shortly after takeoff.[181] Vaughan and the four
>>others on board—pilot Jeff Brown, agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel
>>Browne, and tour manager Colin Smythe—died.[182] The helicopter was
>>owned by Chicago-based company Omniflight Helicopters. The Elkhorn
>>coroner's inquest found that all five men died instantly.[183]"
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan#Death
>>
>
>Not sure I see the relevance. Helicopter crashes that kill celebrities
>aren't uncommon - Bill Graham, Kobi Bryant come to mind immediately
>not to mention the day the music stopped (albeit that was a Beechcraft
>Bonanza).
>
>(I saw Stevie at the Playboy Jazz festival in both 1985 and 1986;
>the former was with Double Trouble, the latter was with BB King).

Well, I'm sure a lot more people have died in car crashes on the
way to the JFK or whatever airport than have ever died in helicopter
crashes to same.
--
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 2:37:49 PM UTC+11, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
> In article <JDV4N.21501$cAm7....@fx18.iad>,
> Scott Lurndal <sl...@pacbell.net> wrote:
> >Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes:
> >>On 11/14/2023 5:02 PM, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
> >>> On Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 5:47:38 PM UTC-5, Scott Lurndal wrote:
> >>>> Quadibloc <jsa...@ecn.ab.ca> writes:
> >>>>> This item
> >>>>>
> >https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
> >>>>> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
> >>>>> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
> >>>>> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
> >>>> Joby had one of theirs visit the NYC heliport on the east river yesterday;
> >>>> there's video floating around.
> >>>
> >>> I remember when there was a 6 minute helicopter service from roof of the
> >>> PanAm building on 42nd street to JFK.
> >>>
> >>> That ended after a really nasty fatal accident.
> >>>
> >>> pt
> >>
> >>Stevie Ray Vaughan: "On Monday, August 27, 1990, at 12:50 a.m. (CDT),
> >>Vaughan and members of Eric Clapton's touring entourage played an
> >>all-star encore jam session at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Alpine
> >>Valley Resort in East Troy, Wisconsin. They then left for Midway
> >>International Airport in Chicago in a Bell 206B helicopter, the most
> >>common way for acts to enter and exit the venue, as there is only one
> >>road in and out, heavily used by fans.[180] The helicopter crashed into
> >>a nearby ski hill shortly after takeoff.[181] Vaughan and the four
> >>others on board—pilot Jeff Brown, agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel
> >>Browne, and tour manager Colin Smythe—died.[182] The helicopter was
> >>owned by Chicago-based company Omniflight Helicopters. The Elkhorn
> >>coroner's inquest found that all five men died instantly.[183]"
> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan#Death
> >>
> >
> >Not sure I see the relevance. Helicopter crashes that kill celebrities
> >aren't uncommon - Bill Graham, Kobi Bryant come to mind immediately
> >not to mention the day the music stopped (albeit that was a Beechcraft
> >Bonanza).
> >
> >(I saw Stevie at the Playboy Jazz festival in both 1985 and 1986;
> >the former was with Double Trouble, the latter was with BB King).
> Well, I'm sure a lot more people have died in car crashes on the
> way to the JFK or whatever airport than have ever died in helicopter
> crashes to same.

Yes, but as a percentage of people driving vs taking a helicopter it might be a different situation

On 11/14/2023 6:47 PM, Hamish Laws wrote:
> On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 9:05:00 AM UTC+11, Quadibloc wrote:
>> This item
>> https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
>> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
>> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
>> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
>>
> Not a big fan of having vehicles flying over major population centers

Many vehicles fly over major population centers every day near airports....

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On 15/11/23 15:47, Hamish Laws wrote:
> On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 9:05:00 AM UTC+11, Quadibloc wrote:
>> This item
>> https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
>> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
>> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
>> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
>>
> Not a big fan of having vehicles flying over major population centers

NIMBY either. I didn't follow the link.
But from TV etc, I thought that helicopter usage in New York was already
common and therefore the emphasis was on electric power rather than the
misleading title*.

*Which may have been designed to bring back Jibini :-)

On Tue, 14 Nov 2023 15:02:29 -0800 (PST), "pete...@gmail.com"
<petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 5:47:38?PM UTC-5, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>> Quadibloc <jsa...@ecn.ab.ca> writes:
>> >This item
>> >https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
>> >on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
>> >within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
>> >And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
>> Joby had one of theirs visit the NYC heliport on the east river yesterday;
>> there's video floating around.
>
>I remember when there was a 6 minute helicopter service from roof of the
>PanAm building on 42nd street to JFK.

As featured (well, shown) in the Clint Eastood film /Coogan's Bluff/.

And probably many other films as well.

>That ended after a really nasty fatal accident.

Really nasty fatal accidents have been known to have that effect.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

On Tue, 14 Nov 2023 21:38:23 -0800 (PST), Hamish Laws
<hamish.laws@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 2:37:49?PM UTC+11, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:
>> In article <JDV4N.21501$cAm7....@fx18.iad>,
>> Scott Lurndal <sl...@pacbell.net> wrote:
>> >Lynn McGuire <lynnmc...@gmail.com> writes:
>> >>On 11/14/2023 5:02 PM, pete...@gmail.com wrote:
>> >>> On Tuesday, November 14, 2023 at 5:47:38?PM UTC-5, Scott Lurndal wrote:
>> >>>> Quadibloc <jsa...@ecn.ab.ca> writes:
>> >>>>> This item
>> >>>>>
>> >https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
>> >>>>> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
>> >>>>> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
>> >>>>> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
>> >>>> Joby had one of theirs visit the NYC heliport on the east river yesterday;
>> >>>> there's video floating around.
>> >>>
>> >>> I remember when there was a 6 minute helicopter service from roof of the
>> >>> PanAm building on 42nd street to JFK.
>> >>>
>> >>> That ended after a really nasty fatal accident.
>> >>>
>> >>> pt
>> >>
>> >>Stevie Ray Vaughan: "On Monday, August 27, 1990, at 12:50 a.m. (CDT),
>> >>Vaughan and members of Eric Clapton's touring entourage played an
>> >>all-star encore jam session at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Alpine
>> >>Valley Resort in East Troy, Wisconsin. They then left for Midway
>> >>International Airport in Chicago in a Bell 206B helicopter, the most
>> >>common way for acts to enter and exit the venue, as there is only one
>> >>road in and out, heavily used by fans.[180] The helicopter crashed into
>> >>a nearby ski hill shortly after takeoff.[181] Vaughan and the four
>> >>others on board—pilot Jeff Brown, agent Bobby Brooks, bodyguard Nigel
>> >>Browne, and tour manager Colin Smythe—died.[182] The helicopter was
>> >>owned by Chicago-based company Omniflight Helicopters. The Elkhorn
>> >>coroner's inquest found that all five men died instantly.[183]"
>> >> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan#Death
>> >>
>> >
>> >Not sure I see the relevance. Helicopter crashes that kill celebrities
>> >aren't uncommon - Bill Graham, Kobi Bryant come to mind immediately
>> >not to mention the day the music stopped (albeit that was a Beechcraft
>> >Bonanza).
>> >
>> >(I saw Stevie at the Playboy Jazz festival in both 1985 and 1986;
>> >the former was with Double Trouble, the latter was with BB King).
>> Well, I'm sure a lot more people have died in car crashes on the
>> way to the JFK or whatever airport than have ever died in helicopter
>> crashes to same.
>
>Yes, but as a percentage of people driving vs taking a helicopter it might be a different situation

Not to mention collateral damage per incident.

Air travel acquired a lot of that on 9/11/01, although that didn't
stop the Defenders of Air Travel from repeating their claims a few
months later.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

On Tue, 14 Nov 2023 18:47:43 -0800 (PST), Hamish Laws
<hamish.laws@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 9:05:00?AM UTC+11, Quadibloc wrote:
>> This item
>> https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
>> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
>> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
>> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
>>
>Not a big fan of having vehicles flying over major population centers

Apparently, we had something other than the Blue Angels fly over a
couple of Veteran's Day events.

And, when they were practicing a few days before, they flew much lower
than usual and made a lot more noise than usual, possibly enough to
actually violate a noise ordinance. Nextdoor was quite aroused: one
poster reported that her two cats went under the couch and stayed
there for hours.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 4:57:16 PM UTC+11, Dimensional Traveler wrote:
> On 11/14/2023 6:47 PM, Hamish Laws wrote:
> > On Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 9:05:00 AM UTC+11, Quadibloc wrote:
> >> This item
> >> https://www.techspot.com/news/100842-new-york-intends-have-first-commercial-electric-air.html
> >> on a tech web site notes that a firm has announced a plan to have,
> >> within two years, an aerial taxi service running in New York City.
> >> And the helicopters it uses will even be electrically powered!
> >>
> > Not a big fan of having vehicles flying over major population centers
> Many vehicles fly over major population centers every day near airports.....
>
Yeah, but commercial planes seem to have a lot less accidents than helicopters
If you're getting enough helicopters doing taxi service rides over a city at some stage there's going to be a failure of some sort and a falling helicopter will probably make a fair mess where it lands

Hamish Laws <hamish.laws@gmail.com> wrote:
>ers
>If you're getting enough helicopters doing taxi service rides over a city a=
>t some stage there's going to be a failure of some sort and a falling helic=
>opter will probably make a fair mess where it lands

When cars lose power, they slowly lose speed and can be pulled to the side of
the road.

When fixed-wing aircraft lose power, they keep flying. Depending on the
glide ratio of the aircraft, they can go a long long way without any power.
Often long enough to find an airport if you start with enough velocity and
you aren't in the middle of the Atlantic.

When helicopters lose power they plummet terrifyingly to earth. And don't
tell me about autorotation. I've seen it and it is only a brief step up
from plummeting.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 8:28:00 AM UTC-5, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> Hamish Laws <hamis...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >ers
> >If you're getting enough helicopters doing taxi service rides over a city a=
> >t some stage there's going to be a failure of some sort and a falling helic> >opter will probably make a fair mess where it lands
> When cars lose power, they slowly lose speed and can be pulled to the side of
> the road.
>
> When fixed-wing aircraft lose power, they keep flying. Depending on the
> glide ratio of the aircraft, they can go a long long way without any power.
> Often long enough to find an airport if you start with enough velocity and
> you aren't in the middle of the Atlantic.
>
> When helicopters lose power they plummet terrifyingly to earth. And don't
> tell me about autorotation. I've seen it and it is only a brief step up
> from plummeting.

The PanAm building accident had a landing gear failure lead to the copter
falling on its side, one blade the rotor detaching and killing 4 people on the
roof, and one on the ground, and injuring two.

pt

On 11/16/2023 5:27 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> Hamish Laws <hamish.laws@gmail.com> wrote:
>> ers
>> If you're getting enough helicopters doing taxi service rides over a city a=
>> t some stage there's going to be a failure of some sort and a falling helic=
>> opter will probably make a fair mess where it lands
>
> When cars lose power, they slowly lose speed and can be pulled to the side of
> the road.
>
> When fixed-wing aircraft lose power, they keep flying. Depending on the
> glide ratio of the aircraft, they can go a long long way without any power.
> Often long enough to find an airport if you start with enough velocity and
> you aren't in the middle of the Atlantic.
>
> When helicopters lose power they plummet terrifyingly to earth. And don't
> tell me about autorotation. I've seen it and it is only a brief step up
> from plummeting.

"A helicopter is just a million parts all flying in loose formation."

--
I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
dirty old man.

On Thursday, 16 November 2023 at 13:28:00 UTC, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> Hamish Laws <hamis...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >ers
> >If you're getting enough helicopters doing taxi service rides over a city a=
> >t some stage there's going to be a failure of some sort and a falling helic=
> >opter will probably make a fair mess where it lands
> When cars lose power, they slowly lose speed and can be pulled to the side of
> the road.
>
> When fixed-wing aircraft lose power, they keep flying. Depending on the
> glide ratio of the aircraft, they can go a long long way without any power.
> Often long enough to find an airport if you start with enough velocity and
> you aren't in the middle of the Atlantic.
>
> When helicopters lose power they plummet terrifyingly to earth. And don't
> tell me about autorotation. I've seen it and it is only a brief step up
> from plummeting.
> --scott

Then may we consider a low-flying car? ;-)

How is a helicopter not a flying car?