Vertical take-off 'flying taxis' to be made at Gloucestershire airport

One of the world's most exciting new aviation firms says it is about to invest in a Gloucestershire factory to make vertical takeoff electric aeroplanes, with plans to produce nearly 1,000 a year.

Dear reader,

Welcome to Thursday’s edition of The Raikes Journal. Regular readers will know we usually reserve Thursday’s for a single story, sometimes paywalled, sometimes not.

The main story today picks up the news of a multi-million pound investment for Gloucestershire as one of the most exciting aviation firms in the world reveals plans to manufacture electric ‘planes’ in the county.

Could we see them landing at Cheltenham Festival’s racecourse in the future!

For a county with a long history in the aviation sector, the move will write another page in an already incredible story.

We’ve also included a special feature on an event The Raikes Journal is supporting again this year - the Believe in Gloucester Awards - with another article on one of the five organisations shortlisted in this year’s Charity of the Year category.

Anything aviation-related will likely be seen by thousands through our email service, website and social media channels, ensuring the charity we focus on below, Gloucestershire Academy of Music, and Gloucester BID’s Believe in Gloucester Awards, gets seen by that number too.

Numbers that, we feel sure to say, generally won’t be beaten by any other credible business-related news website in the county.

Enjoy.

Best regards,

Andrew Merrell (editor).

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Believe in Gloucester: Lifting our spirits and entertaining thousands every year

Little in life lifts the spirits like music, and in Gloucester there is a driving force determined to bring the opportunity to get involved in making and listening to music to as many people as possible.

We are talking about the Gloucestershire Academy of Music, one of the five organisations shortlisted in this year’s Believe in Gloucester Awards’ Charity of the Year category.

The awards (whose headline sponsors are WSP Solicitors and Gloucester Quays) are staged by the influential city centre group Gloucester BID to celebrate businesses, organisations and individuals who help make the city - and the county - a great place to live, work and visit.

The academy of music describes itself as a charity committed to creating high-quality musical opportunities across Gloucestershire, and it is shortlisted alongside four other county-focused charities in the running for this year’s top prize.

“We deliver one-to-one teaching, group ensembles and holiday courses at our Gloucester base and in schools county-wide, whilst using our bursary fund to help bridge potential barriers,” said Shannon Watson, marketing and engagement coordinator for the academy.

“Currently, 607 children learn with us, including 40 whose places are supported by our bursary fund.

“Our free weekly dementia choir welcomes around 70 people, promoting cognitive, social and emotional wellbeing through singing together.

“Our intergenerational project, Stand By Me, brought 271 children together with 113 care-home residents in the last year, reducing isolation and building confidence on both sides.

“We also bring the therapeutic power of live music into local hospitals, reaching 352 patients across Guiting Ward, Gloucestershire Royal’s Children’s Centre (Paediatric Inpatient and Emily Kent wards) and the neonatal unit.

“And each week the academy reaches people at every stage of life, from neonatal care to 101.”

What’s not to like!

You can find out more about the Believe in Gloucester Awards, and who is shortlisted in the other categories and how to vote for who you think should win, by clicking here.

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*The Raikes Journal is the only independent news outlet in Gloucestershire approved to use the copy of the BBC local government reporting service.

* It is a digital magazine and community interest company whose supporters believe, like us, that journalism about Gloucestershire is worth keeping alive. Everything you read here - original stories about our county - is made possible by our incredible Founding Partners: QuoLux, Willans LLP, Gloucestershire College, Merrell People and Randall & Payne; our sponsors, Founding Members and wonderful paying subscribers.

If you upgrade to paid you’ll be part of this CIC too. We’re dedicated to championing the county, its businesses, charities, education and training providers, and to creating an even stronger community. And you’ll be able to see past the paywalls often put on our 2cnd and 3rd email editions of the week, that lock our archive and our Top 100 Businesses in Gloucestershire series. You’ll be able to comment on our stories too.

Usually you can sign up to support The Raikes Journal and make what we do possible (real journalism about Gloucestershire) for just £2.30 a week - or £1.80 a week if two or more people sign up at once. Or you can go all in and become one of our Founding Partners or Founding Members!

But we’re currently running this offer to make it even cheaper (just £1.60 a week for a year!!).

For every person you refer to The Raikes Journal’s email service you get points towards a free membership allowing you to see beyond our paywalls. Please do sign up (free or otherwise), send the referral link to a friend or colleague, and help us grow.

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Vertical take-off ‘flying taxis’ to be made at Gloucestershire airport

One of the world’s most exciting new aviation firms says it is about to invest in a Gloucestershire factory to make vertical takeoff electric aeroplanes, with plans to produce nearly 1,000 a year.

By Andrew Merrell.

An aerospace firm has revealed plans to invest in a Gloucestershire airport to begin manufacturing ‘flying taxis’ that can take off vertically like helicopters, fly like aeroplanes and have zero operating emissions.

Vertical Aerospace, which is headquartered in Bristol, has revealed plans to make 25 VX4 electric four-passenger aircraft annually at the new factory, and hundreds of planes a year by 2035.

It is also developing a hybrid version “offering increased range” with the firm claiming to have circa 1,500 pre-orders for the VX4 and its website already offering the tantalising proposition of ‘skipping the (London) underground to experience the efficiency and ease of electric flight’.

The business, which describes itself as ‘a global aerospace and technology company that is pioneering electric aviation’, made the grand reveal during its Capital Markets Day presentation in New York City in the United States of America this week.

During the presentation it mapped out its Flightpath 2030 business strategy, which includes reaffirming its plans to “certify the all-electric VX4 by 2028, requiring $700 million (US) in funding to reach this milestone”.

And it said a key part of that strategy was investment in a “new facility adjacent to existing Flight Test Centre will have capacity to produce 25-plus VX4 aircraft annually and bring Vertical’s total footprint at Cotswold Airport (in Kemble) to 100,000 square foot”.

Battery production would be expanded at its Avonmouth site near Bristol, adjacent to Vertical’s existing Energy Centre, with a new 30,000 sq ft battery facility allowing it to triple production.

• To read more, hear when the boss of Vertical Aviation and the chief test pilot have to say, see the video of the VX4 in action, learn how far it can fly, its possible routes, the huge increases in production it expects to make, you’ll need to go beyond the paywall. If you do you’ll be supporting this CIC - dedicated to bringing Gloucestershire some real business-related journalism and (on the plus side) there is currently 30 per cent off annual subscriptions as we chase a new subscriber target.