Can new emission-free electric planes replace our polluting airliners and revolutionize personal transportation in our cities? NOVA takes you for a ride in some impressive prototypes that are already in the air, from speedy single-seat planes that can take off like a helicopter but are half as noisy to “self-flying” air taxis that are already
Airplane manufacturers are making big moves to decarbonize — but is it too little too late? Jennifer Van Evra “The airline sector doesn’t have a plan to date,” says Andrew Murphy, aviation director of Transport and Environment, “and it’s kind of scrambling to come up with one.” (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) What On Earth27:01Up in the
2020-06-03
The (very) good news is that there is more than one zero-emission aviation technology coming. But at the risk of being Mr. Negative, at least for airport communities, electric airplanes are no panacea. And we say that not to inspire despair but to tell residents the realities, which are: Each of these alternatives comes with
When Rick Deckard, the hero of the 1982 science fiction film Blade Runner, gazes down at a futuristic Los Angeles from a flying police car, a Pan Am sign shines on one of the towers. It is a nod to the helicopter service from the old Pan Am airline building in Manhattan to John F