JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A study recently revealed that carbon pollution from private jets has increased rapidly over the past five years, but an aviation company that could soon call Jacksonville its home is looking to change that for good.
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Texas-based Otto Aviation, which was recently unveiled as the company behind “Project Bluebird,” is aiming to build a “next-generation” jet and could be doing it at Cecil Airport, where the company is looking to move its headquarters.
The new jet would operate efficiently in turbulent conditions and fly faster than a typical commercial plane while using about half the amount of fuel.
If everything is approved, the company would start research and development at Cecil Airport by early 2027, which would also include test flights of the Phantom 3500.
Otto Aviation wants to get FAA certification and have the jet in service by 2030.
In moving to Jacksonville, Otto Aviation says it plans to create about 1,200 jobs with an average salary of $90,000. It says 400 of the jobs would be filled by 2031.
The plane’s cabin won’t feature any windows, which will make it more aerodynamic. The windows have been replaced with a panoramic visual experience the company has dubbed “Super Natural Vision.”
“Passengers enjoy stunning, uninterrupted views of the sky and landscape, all while benefiting from the enhanced aerodynamics and efficiency that come with complete laminar flow design,“ a description of Super Natural Vision on the company’s website reads. ”Super Natural Vision™ transforms the way we experience flight, offering the beauty of the journey like never before.”
According to the Jacksonville Daily Record, the plane is described as “a ‘super-midsized,’ twin-engined craft with a lightweight, low-drag design that Otto says would burn up to 60% less fuel than rival jets while producing 92% less emissions.”
Also, the jet carries a cruising altitude of 51,000 feet, utilizes “laminar flow” technology to maximize aerodynamic efficiency, and would include unique cockpit technology to provide precision and optimized performance to pilots.
The aviation company, which was started in 2008 by William (Bill) Otto, advertises the jet‘s cabin as rather spacious, stating that it carries a cabin height of 6′5 while also offering 800 cubic feet of width, which is “twice the size of comparable aircraft cabins.”
According to the company website, Otto traveled more than 2 million miles with his accident reconstruction company, which analyzed evidence at crash sites to figure out the cause of crashes. He got frustrated with the high costs of private flights and the environmental impacts of private air travel.
JDR states that legislation for the city of Jacksonville’s incentive offering to Otto Aviation is expected to be filed by May 21.
A brief video showing Otto Aviation’s vision for their Phantom 3500 can be seen below.
