Is there a pilot on board? Guest Kevin Antcliff, Director of Product at Xwing, discusses Autonomous Regional Air Mobility.

Uplink with Shaesta Waiz & Michael Wildes

Is there a pilot on board? Guest Kevin Antcliff, Director of Product at Xwing discusses the benefits of Autonomous Regional Air Mobility. Plus, Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen announces departure, and SpaceX's Starship launch- success or failure?

The acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, Billy Nolen, has announced that he will resign this summer, leaving the agency. The pressure is on for the White House to find his replacement. Plus, was SpaceX's Starship rocket launch a failure or success? Starship is the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built, and it exploded on its test flight last week, roughly four minutes after lift-off from a launchpad in Texas. Tune in to hear our discussion on these two major developments in aviation this week.

This week's guest on the Uplink is Kevin Antcliff, Director of Product for Xwing. Antcliff is a Virginia Tech graduate, earning a Bachelor's and Masters in Aerospace Engineering. Kevin has worked for NASA for over six years serving in roles like the Deputy Lead of Emerging Applications and Technologies in the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch. In this role, Antcliff led the development of a white paper in collaboration with experts from industry and academia to cast a vision for Regional Air Mobility.

Key Moments

0:00 - 4:07 - Introduction & weekend recap

4:07 - 8:26 - why is autonomous aviation important to improving Regional Air Mobility (RAM)?

8:26 - 11:09 - How would RAM fundamentally change how we travel and move goods?

11:09 - 14:48 - In what ways is RAM more sustainable and environmentally friendly?

14:48 - 18:02 - How would RAM benefit small communities?

19:57 - 23:19 - Is there technology that needs to come along with RAM, such as SAF?

23:19 - 28:-03 - if companies like Xwing are successful, how might pilots and the profession be affected?

28:03 - 32:31 - Have you seen the investment community take a similar interest in bringing this tech to market sooner?

32:31 - 35:10 - If autonomous aviation technology is fully realized, could an autonomous aircraft circumnavigate the globe?

35:10 - 37-30 - Are there fringe opportunities worth pursuing as RAM comes online?

37:30 -45:39 - Xwing recap

45:39- 48:42 - FAA Acting Administrator, Billy Nolen, to step down this summer

48:42 - 51:49 - Was SpaceX Starship launch a success or failure?

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