Inside the making of a Joby air taxi pilot

WILSON TALKS ON HOW AIR TAXI IS SHAPING THE FUTURE

- BY DHANUSHA GOKULAN Chief Reporter

Joby’s air taxi made headlines at the Dubai Airshow for its quiet takeoff and smooth transition into forward flight, but the person at the controls has a story just as compelling. Peter “Wizzer” Wilson, a veteran test pilot whose resume spans Harriers, helicopters and the F-35, is now shaping the future of an entirely new aviation profession: the pilot of an electric air taxi.

Wilson says the path starts with a sense of imagination. Many young pilots dream about flying but want a lifestyle that keeps them home every night — something traditional airline schedules rarely allow. Air taxis offer that balance. Flights are short, turnaround times are quick, and pilots spend their day in the action rather than at long-haul altitudes. “All the kids of today are future Joby pilots,” he says. “They see this machine and realise: I could do that.”