Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

Helicopter rideshare service Blade is expanding into Chicago, announcing today that it will base aircraft at Vertiport Chicago to provide service to destinations such as O’Hare International Airport, Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, and the tony summer vacation community of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The vertiport is located eight blocks south of the University of Illinois campus, near the downtown South Loop.

 


Blade will&nbsp;have the exclusive right to offer passenger flights sold by-the-seat at the vertiport, which will be rebranded “Vertiport Chicago Powered by Blade.” The company will also have the right to build an on-site branded passenger terminal once traffic volume necessitates.

 


“The build-out of infrastructure for next-generation vertical air travel in Chicago is beginning now. Our alliance with Blade will only serve to accelerate our ability to help create the network of landing zones our city needs to be competitive in the future,” said Daniel Mojica of Vertiport Chicago, referencing the anticipated future arrival of eVTOL advanced air mobility aircraft.&nbsp;

 


“Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States. It is the right time for us to establish a strategic presence in this important market,”&nbsp;said Blade president Melissa Tomkiel. “There are a number of passenger routes where we see real potential, and we look forward to enabling local hospitals to take advantage of Blade’s cost-effective MediMobility human organ air transport business.” The vertiport is just blocks from several of Chicago’s leading hospitals, including Rush, Stroger, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, and the University of Illinois Medical Center.&nbsp;

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Blade Expands Helicopter Rideshares into Chicago 

Blade Urban Air Mobility announced that it would base helicopters at Vertiport Chicago. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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U.S. Approves $800M Bell 407/412 Sale to Iraq Military

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Fire and disaster management agency to use aircraft in aerial reconnaissance role

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New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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