Community welcomes HopFlyt to Paducah area

Rob Winston, HopFlyt co-founder and CEO, said when looking for a new principle location and a home for its commercial division, HopFlyt was looking for a place where the company could draw talent and an area that could support the expensive aerospace venture. After two visits and introductions with local leaders, Winston said Paducah fits the bill for its hub.

“Now, we see that there’s both the structure here where we can get the talent, great place to live, low cost of living compared to lots of other states around our nation, and also, the funding’s following now. Now, we’re beginning to get several really good investments, and now, it looks like it will work out real well for us,” Winston said.

Options for hangar space at Barkley Regional Airport for its work and research, along with the proximity of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering Paducah campus, helped sell HopFlyt on Paducah.

Winston said there have been discussions regarding working with UK engineering students, both locally and at the main Lexington campus, to have graduate students research and write dissertations on some of the problems HopFlyt is working to solve. HopFlyt is also interested in having interns work with them as they research and develop models, and hiring local engineering talent, he added.

HopFlyt is working on eVTOL aircraft models that would transport people and goods. While the company is testing some unmanned aircraft models in its military division, Winston said the commercial division in Paducah would be focusing on developing a manned aircraft called the Venturi, which could carry up to four passengers. This aircraft would feature a 50-foot wingspan, and would feature technology that would allow the aircraft to takeoff and land like a helicopter, but fly like an airplane.

Winston said the big market for this type of aircraft would be urban air mobility, which he described as moving people throughout cities and outside of cities. He said HopFlyt is working on a longer-range aircraft, one with a range of about 200 miles. This could move people quickly to nearby cities, or serve as a connector for cargo companies to move goods through the air instead of on the ground.

“I want to have an aircraft that’s kind of the Ford F-150. It can carry cargo, it can carry people, it can still go long distances,” Winston said.

“Say you need to get to Nashville for a meeting. You don’t want to have to drive two hours up, two hours back. You’ll be there in about 32 minutes [with the Venturi],” Winston added.

Winston said, at the moment, HopFlyt is about three years away from having a prototype of its manned aircraft.

Sprocket Executive Director Monica Bilak said economic development is a “team sport” that requires the efforts of multiple people and groups to move the local economy forward. Paducah Mayor George Bray added that economic development is the “lifeblood” of the community. Bray and McCracken County Judge-Executive Craig Clymer both highlighted the importance of the city’s and county’s partnerships with each other and other local groups in moving the local economy forward.

Bilak credited Sprocket board of directors member Steve Reid, now HopFlyt’s CFO, for getting Sprocket connected with HopFlyt and starting conversations with HopFlyt about moving to Paducah. Bilak also highlighted the efforts of Barkley Regional Airport Executive Director Dennis Rouleau, UK College of Engineering Paducah Campus Director Charles Lu and UK College of Engineering professor John Maddox to bring HopFlyt to the community.