Construction is beginning on two vertiports designed to accommodate eVTOLs in the U.S. Midwest. Davenport, Iowa-based Difco has begun building a vertiport in Rock Island, Illinois, while Volatus Infrastructure plans to erect an eVTOL terminal and charging station at Wittman Regional Airport (KOSH) in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Dubbed the Corporal Jason G. Pautsch Vertiport, the Davenport facility will support eVTOL and helicopter traffic and offer a corporate hangar for lease, refueling services, executive pilot lounge, prototype visual navigational aid beacon, and RNAV approach and departure procedures. From there, rotorcraft could serve cities such as Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline and East Moline, Illinois. Difco partnered with Hughes Aerospace and Five Alpha on the vertiport, which will be home to an unnamed existing aeromedical program.
Meanwhile, Volatus said its $500,000 project is a partnership between the company, the airport, and the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp. Plans call for an eVTOL terminal with amenities, landing pad, and vehicle-agnostic electric charging station. “Volatus is able to provide an infrastructure solution at a price point that will grant greater access to the eVTOL industry,” said company co-founder Grant Fisk.