National Advanced Air Mobility Industry Forum Returns Oct. 15 as Industry Shifts from Demonstration to Production

Electra CEO Marc Allen to keynote; forum convenes manufacturers, federal regulators, defense leaders and investors at the country's only build-test-fly campus

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (Sept. 11, 2026) - The National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence (NAAMCE) will host the fifth annual National Advanced Air Mobility Industry Forum (NAAMIF) on Oct. 15, bringing together aircraft manufacturers, federal regulators, military leaders, investors and infrastructure providers for a working session on what it will take to move advanced air mobility from flight test into production and routine operation.

Registration for NAAMIF is open now.

The stakes are national. The U.S. advanced air mobility market is projected to reach $115 billion annually by 2035 and support more than 280,000 jobs, according to research from the Aerospace Industries Association and Deloitte - but only if certification, manufacturing capacity, airspace integration and workforce come together on the same timeline. NAAMIF is built around that question.

AAM technology continues to evolve, which creates a challenge when you're looking to scale up to production - certification, supply chain, infrastructure and public acceptance," said Ted Angel, executive director of NAAMCE. "NAAMIF puts the people who have the responsibility and the talent to solve those problems in the same room for a day, at a facility where this work is already happening in an ecosystem design to move at the speed of industry.

Keynote and programming

Marc Allen, chief executive officer of Electra, will deliver the keynote address, offering a view of the forces shaping the industry's next chapter and what it will take to turn advanced air mobility from a development program into an operating business.

The one-day agenda is deliberately working-session heavy rather than podium heavy:

• AAM Defense Fireside Chat - the intersection of advanced air mobility and national security, including where emerging platforms could support defense missions and what it takes to turn new capability into operational reality. Confirmed participants include Blain Newton of BETA Technologies, Donn Yates of Electra and Sergio Cecutta of SMG Consulting.

• Growing Capabilities Panel - the workforce, manufacturing, supply chain, infrastructure and partnerships an industry needs beyond the aircraft itself.

• Workshops - The event will feature three workshop topics, with each workshop offered in three sessions. Each session will address the same core topic while varying the specific focus, discussion, and perspectives presented. Beyond the Prototype (the infrastructure and operational requirements behind scaling a proven aircraft), The Digital Enterprise (digital engineering, data and certification practices that compress development timelines) and From Novelty to Normal (community engagement and public acceptance).

Workshops are designed to produce takeaways that the industry can use. Each session closes with findings presented back to the full forum.

Speakers and participants from across the industry are planned, including BETA Technologies, Joby Aviation, Eve Air Mobility, the Federal Aviation Administration, Civil Air Patrol and others-an exhibition, aircraft simulator time and an evening networking hour round out the day.

A facility built for the transition to production

NAAMCE is the only site in the country offering an end-to-end build-test-fly capability through a single coordinated partner network. Companies working at the center have access to the National Airspace System at altitudes up to 18,000 feet. They can conduct long-duration, beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations without chase planes - the single largest schedule and cost driver for most flight test programs.

That access runs through SkyVision, a ground-based system that provides real-time airspace awareness for uncrewed and autonomous aircraft, operated in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Ohio UAS Center, across a 225-square-mile BVLOS range with no aircraft size restrictions. The center itself houses 30,000 square feet of laboratory, research, and collaboration space, alongside 25,000 square feet of hangar space.

The practical effect for an AAM company is fewer vendors, fewer approvals to chase and less time between a design decision and the flight data that validates it.

The supply chain around it

Ohio has become one of the most concentrated, impactful bases for advanced air mobility manufacturing in the world. Joby Aviation and Electra have both announced plans to build production facilities in Ohio. Hartzell Propeller, a century-old propulsion manufacturer, works directly with companies at the center. GE Aerospace, headquartered in Cincinnati, is among the established primes investing in electrified flight. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the Air Force Research Laboratory and a statewide network of suppliers create a competitive advantage for aerospace and defense companies.

Registration for NAAMIF is open now at aamohio.com/registration .

NAAMCE Aviation Weekend

NAAMIF anchors NAAMCE Aviation Weekend, three days of programming at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport:

• Oct. 15 - NAAMIF, the industry forum.

• Oct. 16 - STEM Day, a hands-on day for students in grades 6-12 rotating through aircraft discovery, an aviation innovation lab, airport operations and future-of-flight stations, coordinated with participating schools. Educators can inquire at [email protected].

• Oct. 17 - The Great American Electric Air Race, a public event bringing electric aircraft, pilots and the community together, with biplane rides, a free FAA TRUST certificate course, an eVTOL simulator experience, food trucks and live music. Rain date Oct. 18. Tickets are available through the event page at aamohio.com/electric-air-race.

Sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities remain available at aamohio.com/become-a-sponsor.

About NAAMCE

The National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence is a 55,000-square-foot facility at Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport dedicated to accelerating the testing, validation, certification and commercialization of advanced air mobility aircraft and systems. NAAMCE provides innovators with National Airspace System access at altitude, an integrated beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight range, hangar and laboratory space, and coordinated access to the federal agencies, research institutions and industry partners required to move a program forward. Learn more at naamce.com.

Media contact

Dave Gilligan

[email protected]

(614) 787-6094