Local, state and federal officials celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony for the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) at Springfield Beckley Municipal Airport near Dayton, Ohio.

NAAMCE is a two-story, 30,000-foot² Office building housing 25,000 feet of administrative, lab, meeting, and collaboration space² Aircraft hangar space available for use by the U.S. Air Force and private companies. The center will support the expansion of manufacturers and operators of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). advanced air movement (AAM).

Vermont-based Beta Technologies, California-based Joby Aviation, and Texas company LIFT Aircraft are already using the airport to support eVTOL development. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), in partnership with the State of Ohio, developed SkyVision, a system for establishing and operating ground-based detection and avoidance (GBDAA) systems at sites. In 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration granted his AFRL authorization for UAS BVLOS flights at airports.

The City of Springfield, Dayton Development Coalition (DDC), JobsOhio, and the State of Ohio support AFRL and its AFWERX Agility Prime program to Accelerate development of commercial eVTOL technology This supports the Air Force’s need for resilient distributed logistics and sustainable mobility. The new facility is within a 30-minute drive of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and AFRL. NAAMCE is scheduled to open in September 2023.

The Department of Defense has approved a $6 million Defense Community Infrastructure Program grant to support the project in 2021.With additional state and local government funding, the total investment in the site is $10 million.

Local governments in Ohio and Dayton are looking to leverage their Centers of Excellence and existing aerospace assets. Attract AAM Manufacturing to the area. State officials Economic Impact of AAM in Ohio If the state continues to invest in AAM activities, it will reach $13 billion by 2045 and create 15,000 related jobs.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on the second day National Advanced Aviation Mobility Industry Forum, Ohio’s collaborative aviation ecosystem and supply chain showcase. Exhibitors included representatives from research and development, aerospace manufacturing, colleges and regional resources for workforce development. Panel discussions included industry representatives from Joby Aviation, LIFT Aircraft, Lilium, Beta Technologies, and Workhorse Group, as well as government officials from the FAA, NASA, and the United States Air Force. Topics discussed included eVTOL progress to date, AAM aircraft certification and integration into domestic airspace, medical use cases, and partnerships with federal agencies.