The recent Oshkosh Air Venture, which drew 700,000 attendees and 20,000 campers, showcased the largest assembly of electric aircraft ever, revealing a market far broader than the flying car narrative. Lisa Wright, founder of Landings, attended both the main event and the Vertical Flight Society's Electric Aircraft Symposium, and her observations challenge the dominant industry story.
While electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft were well represented, Wright noted a significant presence of traditional aircraft being converted to electric. "Cessna Caravans that land on water are being electrified. There were a lot of Pipistrels. Traditional aircraft that are being converted to electric as well," she said. These conversions, like the electrified Beaver (eBeaver), are operational now, not waiting for future certification.
The market's diversity was further highlighted by companies like Air EV, an Israeli firm focusing on producing 30,000 aircraft a year, "really looking at it as basically wanting these sold like cars," Wright explained. This automotive-scale production vision is enabled by the new Mosaic rule, which opens opportunities for light sport and non-commercial aircraft. Skyfly is similarly pursuing Mosaic-level approvals, freeing them from traditional commercial restrictions.
A memorable moment occurred during Tim Jackson's presentation on electric aircraft futures when a Beta aircraft took off outside. The audience, including Wright, rushed out to watch the flight. "It was a really magical moment for people to be listening to someone tell them about these aircraft, and the talk get interrupted by the aircraft actually flying," she said. Beta reported that particular aircraft had flown 60,000 miles, and their test fleet had accumulated 175,000 miles, demonstrating real-world operational readiness.
Walking among 20,000 planes spanning generations, Wright observed that aviation innovation has always embraced diversity. "When you see 20,000 planes in front of you, and they're all totally different – some 70 years old, some 10 years old – you realize that innovation has always meant every plane is so totally different," she noted. This suggests there isn't one right way to build an eVTOL or one optimal design; the industry is experimenting, which is how aviation has always evolved.
For commercial real estate owners and infrastructure developers, Oshkosh signals that the electric aviation market is expanding faster and broader than projections. It's not waiting for Joby or Archer; conversions are already operational, and manufacturing at scale is planned. The infrastructure opportunity extends beyond urban vertiports to rural networks supporting converted aircraft, emergency services, agriculture, and logistics. As Wright's company Landings builds a network of 2,000+ rural locations, the market's arrival is now, across multiple categories simultaneously.
