Episode 74. Electric airplanes, drone delivery, and personal jets, with Ben Marcus

By John Zimmerman
Mar 26, 2024
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New aerospace businesses seem to be launching every month, including electric ultralights, eVTOL air taxis, drone delivery services, and private space flight. As a longtime pilot and venture capitalist, Ben Marcus is the perfect person to sort through the hype. He explains which business models will work first, why Walmart is finding success with drone delivery, and what benefits GA pilots might see as a result of this investment boom. Ben also founded JetAviva, a popular airplane broker, so he talks about the light jet boom of the last 25 years and what it takes to transition from a piston airplane to a single pilot turbine. In the Ready to Copy segment, you’ll hear about common charging standards for eVTOLs, the best light jet on the market, and Ben’s favorite backcountry strip in Arkansas.

Quotes:

Why ultralight designs like Pivotal matter: “It really brings general aviation to the masses.”
Where eVTOLs might succeed first: “I’m also really excited about cargo and logistics… which has a lesser requirement for infrastructure.”
The challenges ahead for startups: “There’s still a lot of work to be done. I think the companies that are successful will find ways to start to sell their products pre-certification.”
Drones aren’t just for retailers: “I think that you’re going to see more drone delivery operations beyond just consumers.”
Garmin’s Autoland system: “I’m sure that the reason why Garmin worked on that spans far beyond just the emergency use case. I’m sure this is an initial foray into what ultimately could be a broader autonomy system.”
Pilotless airlines: “I don’t anticipate that human beings are going to want to be flown around in quantities measuring in the hundreds at a time with no pilots on board.”
How to transition to light jets: “The most important thing was being proficient on instruments before making the leap, and getting some familiarity with the avionics.”
Why startups fail: “Ultimately companies fail because they run out of money, but that’s caused by a number of issues: the wrong product-market fit, the wrong team, the wrong approach to selling the product.”
Flying the GameBird: “It’s my morning coffee.”