The Allplane Podcast #94 - Damon Vander Lind & Andy Goessling of Magpie Aviation

Damon Vander Lind, Magpie Aviation, CEO

As used as I am in reviewing all sorts of innovative ideas in aviation, the concept that Magpie Aviation presented a few weeks ago really caught my eye.

Is this even possible? This was my first reaction when learning about the system to get an electric aircraft to tow, mid-air, a passenger aircraft to its destination that the guys at Magpie have devised.

Andy Goessling, Magpie Aviation, CTO

Fortunately, I had met Magpie’s Damon Vander Lind and Andy Goessling, CEO and CTO of Magpie, respectively, at an event in Nice just a few days prior.

So, I got in touch to try to get them on the podcast asap in order to learn more about this truly original concept to decarbonize aviation.

So, I was on the line with, Damon and Andy, shortly after and the result is this podcast episode, where we talk about this revolutionary concept, its pros and cons and how Magpie Aviation plans to bring it to fruition.

By the way, they also share some details about the real flight tests they conducted recently over the Nevada desert (see video in the show notes).

So, don’t miss today’s episode if you wish to get a glimpse of what out-of-the-box thinking really means when it comes to tackling the problem of emissions in the aviation industry!

Download this episode from:

Apple Podcasts / iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher

Things we talk about in this episode:

  • Damon’s and Andy’s story and background

  • The story of Magpie Aviation

  • Magpie’s towed aircraft concept

  • Pros and cons of towing aircraft mid-air

  • Does Magpie’s concept of towed aircraft make sense economically

  • Milestones achieve by Magpie Aviation and what comes next

Resources:

Magpie Aviation

Aerotowing

Gliders in WW2

Video of the flight tests Magpie Aviation successfully completed in March 2023:

Interview Transcript:

(please note that, although we strive to make it as close as possible to the original recording, the transcript may not be 100% accurate)

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