The Vertical Space – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Vertical Space

Jim Barry, Peter Shannon & Luka Tomljenovic

Leisure

Technology

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/15d. Total Eps: 115

The Vertical Space is a podcast at the intersection of technology and flight, featuring deep dives with innovators, early adopters, and industry leaders.

We talk about the radical impact that technology is creating as it disrupts flight, enabling new ways to access the vertical space to improve our lives - from small drones to large aircraft. Our guests are operators and innovators across the value chain: airframers, technologists, data and service providers, as well as end users.

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https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/_2417d02d32e4b0be3f7af9f8cd89487a/bristowgroup/files/pages/services/advanced-air-mobility/AAM_Philosophical_Guide.pdf
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Score global : 48%

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#104 Edward Barraclough, Drone-Hand: Why ranching will scale autonomy before defense

Episode 104

Thursday, December 4, 2025 • Duration 01:12:52

Autonomy may scale in agriculture long before it does in defense or UAM, and today’s guest makes a compelling case why. We speak with Edward Barraclough, founder and CEO of Drone-Hand, about applying autonomous drones and on-device AI to the realities of livestock operations across Australia, New Zealand, North America, and beyond.

Edward explains why ranching is the perfect proving ground for autonomy: massive land areas, urgent labor shortages, permissive operating environments, and ROI that’s measured in days - not years. We explore how drones are already replacing helicopters on million-acre cattle stations, why biological data creates one of the deepest moats in autonomy, the role of trust and repeatability for producers, and how CASA’s regulatory evolution compares to FAA and EASA. It’s a rare look at autonomy where economics, biology, and geography collide.

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#103 Ed Bastian, Delta Air Lines: Raising the ceiling of possibility

Episode 103

Thursday, October 30, 2025 • Duration 53:00

In this episode, Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian breaks down what truly differentiates a great airline: people and culture. Ed shares why “take care of your people first” isn’t a slogan (it’s Delta’s operating system!) and how that shows up in reliability, premium customer experience, and everyday leadership. We get a candid look at running a 100,000-person, 5,000-flights-a-day operation; the metrics he checks first (on-time arrivals and cash); and why accessibility and listening are his non-negotiables as a leader.

We also dive into Delta’s broader vision: a connected, premium travel ecosystem that spans free fast Wi-Fi and new entertainment partnerships to deeper integrations with Uber, Wheels Up and, soon, eVTOL links with Joby. Ed frames AI as “augmented intelligence” that empowers frontline teams, outlines how Delta thinks about fortress balance sheets and long-cycle bets, and makes the case that air travel isn’t a commodity but an experience people will choose and pay for. Founders will appreciate his clear wishlist of problems to solve in ops efficiency, maintenance, and crew utilization, and his invitation to bring real solutions, not just ideas.

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#94 Brandon Suarez, Reliable Robotics: Balancing safety and operational benefits

Episode 94

Wednesday, June 4, 2025 • Duration 01:06:51

In this episode, we welcome back Brandon Suarez from Reliable Robotics, more than three years after his first appearance. Brandon leads the development of technical standards and global aviation policy, and this return visit offers a valuable perspective on how the aviation industry has evolved, and in some ways, diverged from expectations. The conversation centers on the implementation of automation in aviation and its operational and safety benefits, especially for general aviation. Brandon makes a compelling case that improving safety isn’t just a benefit of automation, it’s a prerequisite for aviation growth. He addresses persistent issues like the stagnant GA safety record and explains why relying solely on the pilot is no longer sufficient.

The episode dives deep into topics such as the future of digital flight decks, the lessons learned from the rollout of ADS-B, and how these inform the potential deployment of ACAS-X. Brandon also touches on the transformative role of connectivity solutions like Starlink and highlights the urgent need for leadership and vision in U.S. aviation policy. From radically different aircraft architectures to third-party service providers, this episode is packed with thoughtful insights.

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#4 Scott Drennan: engineering and manufacturing

Season 4 · Episode 4

Friday, December 10, 2021 • Duration 53:51

In this episode you'll hear from Scott Drennan, an accomplished aerospace innovator and executive. We discuss the DC-3 and Model T "moments" for advanced air mobility, the challenges and opportunities for the industry to manufacture at automotive speed, best practices for leveraging advanced manufacturing and digital engineering, and much more. As we always do in this podcast, you'll hear Scott's advice to entrepreneurs looking to start a business in this new chapter of aviation.

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#3 Mike Whitaker from Supernal, a Hyundai company

Season 1 · Episode 3

Saturday, December 4, 2021 • Duration 37:41

Few have Mike Whitaker’s background and senior executive experience in both aviation and in automotive air mobility. Mike speaks with authority and experience as the former Deputy Administrator and Chief NextGen Officer of the FAA, Group CEO of India’s largest travel conglomerate, a senior executive at United Airlines, and now a senior executive at Supernal, Hyundai’s Urban Air Mobility subsidiary. Mike discusses the transition from today’s air transportation system – with its remarkable safety record, to discussing what is required to transition to advanced air mobility. It’s a fresh perspective with a firm grounding on what will have to happen to get it right, be profitable, and safe.

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#2 Jesse Kallman: use cases and building a business in AAM

Season 1 · Episode 2

Wednesday, November 10, 2021 • Duration 52:45

Our guest today is Jesse Kallman, an accomplished aviation executive with broad experience in the unmanned aviation industry. We invited Jesse to speak on the podcast because he’s been a part of the commercial drone industry from its very beginning and he also founded and led a geospatial business within a large aerospace OEM, so for the entrepreneurs in our audience, his perspective and advice is very valuable. Among other things, you’ll hear Jesse talk about the early days at Airware, a pioneering drone software company, including some key takeaways for founders and investors from the company’s eventual collapse. Jesse also talks about the importance of understanding the customer problem and quantifying the value proposition, even for things that are difficult to quantify, like customer service or customer satisfaction. We touched on many other topics, including commercial drone use cases, state of the industry, how to think about crafting a compelling product offering, and also about building autonomous aircraft.

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#1: Why we launched The Vertical Space

Season 1 · Episode 1

Thursday, November 4, 2021 • Duration 48:06

Welcome to Episode#1! In this episode we’ll talk about the business of The Vertical Space and discuss how drones, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), electric aircraft, and all elements within advanced air mobility deliver value or plan to deliver value to their customers and their investors. We're going to discuss why we started the podcast, why we think the topic is important for so many, especially entrepreneurs, a little bit about ourselves - so you know who's behind the podcast - and we're going to talk about the upcoming topics and the types of guests who will be joining our show. We believe learning more about the business of advanced air mobility is important, relevant, exciting, rewarding, and even fun. Thanks for joining us!

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#93 Joey Rios, NASA and UTM: Solve Something Right Now

Episode 93

Tuesday, May 20, 2025 • Duration 01:09:34

In this episode we sit down with Dr. Joey Rios, Chief Technologist for the Aviation Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center, for a discussion on the evolution of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM). Joey takes us through the early days of UTM development, reflecting on the foundational principles, the initial use cases, and how the vision has evolved over time. We dive deep into the challenges of airspace design, the reasoning behind the U.S. federated model, and how it compares to other global approaches. Joey also shares his perspective on current operations, including the Dallas Operational Evaluation site and how safe BVLOS operations at scale might evolve within and outside of the Mode C veil.

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#92 Richard Aboulafia: Supply chain bottlenecks and the New Aerospace Order

Episode 92

Tuesday, May 6, 2025 • Duration 01:14:05

Welcome back to The Vertical Space for our second conversation with Richard Aboulafia, an insightful voice on all things aerospace and defense. This episode dives deeper than ever into the aerospace and defense supply chain: globalization, vulnerabilities, titanium, rare earth elements, and why Tier 1 integrators may be losing their place in the industry.

We explore how shifting geopolitics, material dependencies, and evolving national strategies are redrawing the map of the aerospace and defense industrial base. Richard breaks down why Europe is accelerating its push for industrial sovereignty, how China’s role in rare earths and Russia's role in titanium are creating ripple effects, and what the decline of Tier 1 integrators means for the rest of the industry. We also unpack the promise of Collaborative Combat Aircraft, new defense spending priorities, and ATC modernization. This is a wide-ranging and nuanced discussion on the forces disrupting aerospace as we know it, and where the opportunities lie in the new aerospace order.

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#91 George Mattson, Wheels Up: The integrated customer experience

Episode 91

Thursday, May 1, 2025 • Duration 01:17:58

In this episode, we sit down with George Mattson, CEO of Wheels Up, for a conversation about leading one of the most recognized brands in private aviation. George shares his perspective on building Wheels Up into an aviation solutions company and what sets their model apart in a competitive industry. With his background on the board of Delta Airlines, he offers a unique lens on integrating commercial and private aviation to create a seamless customer experience.

We explore the current landscape of private aviation, its opportunities, headwinds, and the strategic thinking behind Wheels Up’s direction. George also opens up about the realities of being a CEO in aviation: what a typical day looks like, how his expectations have evolved, and what leadership means in this fast-moving space. The conversation wraps with his outlook on the future of aviation, including thoughts on advanced air mobility and where innovation is headed.

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The Vertical Space – Details, episodes & analysis

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The Vertical Space – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

Other1

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

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Other1