Originally published in the Fall 2026 issue of Jetstream Magazine.

EAA’s AirVenture is a wonderful stage for presenting the newest innovations in aviation technology, from rugged new homebuilts to advanced Garmin avionics or ForeFlight software. Among this year’s displays was Joby Aviation’s bid to transform the final miles of an airline journey: a battery-electric aircraft designed to connect airports with city centers in minutes. If it is successful, the Joby electric air taxi will be the closest thing yet to the quiet, hovering, whooshing flying cars that science fiction has promised us for decades.

Meet the Joby aircraft, a battery-powered electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle built primarily from carbon-fiber composites. Six electric motors drive six five-bladed propellers, while four battery packs supply the power needed to fly without producing direct exhaust emissions. 

The Joby uses a tilt-propeller design. For takeoff and landing, its six propellers point upward to provide vertical lift. As the aircraft accelerates, the propellers gradually tilt forward, transferring lift to the wings and allowing it to cruise like a conventional airplane. 

The Joby carries one pilot and four passengers across three rows. Inside, broad windows wrap the compact cabin in glass, giving every passenger an open view of the city below while offering noticeably more space than a conventional ground taxi. The most striking difference, however, may be heard from outside. Joby says the aircraft produces about 45 decibels when cruising 1,640 feet overhead, allowing its sound to fade into the city below as a distant electric hum rather than the heavy rotor beat of a conventional helicopter. 

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