Last week I had a personal sneak peek of the future of flight. It is electric, vertical, and increasingly urban—and at its forefront is Vertical Aerospace, a UK-based pioneer in zero-emission eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) aircraft.
Their flagship, the VX4, (pictured) is shaping up as a gamechanger: a piloted four-passenger tiltrotor aircraft that transitions seamlessly from hover to wingborne cruise, offering quiet, emission free journeys of over 100 miles at speeds up to 150 mph. Imagine from Goodwood to central London in an easy 35 minute, quiet and environmentally friendly commute.
And it is not just a pipedream. Last week the VX4 made history with the world’s first public airport to airport flight of a full scale, piloted winged eVTOL prototype flying almost 20 miles at 115 mph between Cotswold Airport and RAF Fairford. The company recently announced development of a hybrid-electric VX4 variant boasting up to 1,000 miles of range and the flexibility for both crewed and autonomous missions.
It is an exciting future and one in which the UK if it plays its cards right, could have a significant manufacturing presence.
It was great to see so many turn out for the polo Gold Cup at Cowdray in Midhurst this weekend with the weather clearing just in time.
Polo is one of the oldest sports in the world and this prominent event in the sporting calendar draws in international teams and thousands of spectators to the polo fields beneath the iconic Cowdray ruins.
It is an important event for the local economy too with visitors seeking accommodation, food and drink, and shopping in and around Midhurst.
Lastly, I am pleased to see the Government is taking stronger action on water quality with the Independent Water Commission Report. I know many will be pleased to see the Government reiterate the previous Conservative plan to halve sewage pollution by 2030, and I will continue to push for more accountability from the water sector.
