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FALL 2021 NEWSLETTER |
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FROM THE CORNER OFFICE |
John Sartor, PE
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Dear Friend of PS&S: There’s a chill in the air as the seasons turn and it won’t be long before many of us will be traveling for the holidays. If you have ever budgeted an extra hour to get to the airport, you have probably wished you could call an air taxi and fly there. Well, you will be pleased to know that PS&S is involved in Advanced Air Mobility, which could make all that possible – and sooner than we all think. Advanced Air Mobility – moving people from point to point in the air using vertical take-off aircraft and landing zones (such as parking garage roofs) – is now being actively talked about here in the northeast. One of the early believers and advocates for Advanced Air Mobility is our own Chuck Clauser, who is both an architect and a licensed pilot. Chuck has long known that if properly implemented, traveling through the air can be done efficiently and safely – even in urban areas. In fact, PS&S is privileged to have been selected by Uber Elevate in 2019-2020 to serve as Architect of Record for their Vertiport and air taxi service in Los Angeles. (The pandemic and other factors ended that visionary project unfortunately and Elevate has since been sold by Uber.) We're proud to be one of the design firms to be chosen for these ambitious projects. It illustrates what I have long said: to be successful in this business you need technical expertise combined with talent – the kind of talent – and vision – that Chuck has. I should also point out that not only do we believe in the future of Advanced Air Mobility and our opportunity to be a major design and engineering player, but we are also partnering with others involved in this emerging industry such as Varon Corporation, which is pioneering the infrastructure for low-altitude airways. While they sound futuristic, these are not far off, pie-in-the-sky concepts for air transportation. Government bodies such as the FAA and NASA and private industry are aligned on the possibility that Advanced Air Mobility could be a reality in our area as early as 2023-2024, depending on the adoption of regulations, certifications, proven reliability, safety, and public acceptance. We hope you share our enthusiasm for this promising form of transportation that could move people in and around cities much faster than ever before, offering the potential for less traffic congestion and cleaner air. It certainly is an exciting time to be in our business. Thanks once again for your interest in PS&S. Sincerely, John Sartor, PE |
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Flight plan: Warren engineering firm enjoying work on revolutionary aerial transportation systems |
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By Brett Johnson (Warren) If flying taxis do take off — it’s going to be a local engineering firm helping in the initial liftoff. PS&S Architecture and Engineering P.C. is focusing heavily on the conceptual design of “vertiports” that will allow for vertical takeoff and landing of futuristic vehicles … and might not be as far off as you expect. The about 60-year-old Warren firm first launched a task force in 2019 to pursue opportunities within the aerial transport industry. And, earlier this year, it formalized a partnership between it and Varon Vehicles Corp., a company actively involved in designing infrastructure in urban environments that helicopter-like vehicles can move between. Ted Osborne, executive vice president of architecture and engineering at PS&S, admits he and the other senior professionals behind this project are like kids in a candy store. It’s fun. But, he’ll have you know, it’s also very serious — and not at all pie-in-the-sky. |
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