Editor’s Note: We’re excited to introduce you to the innovative, bold, and talented individuals competing in GoFly. Our teams come from all over the world, shaped by their diverse backgrounds and unique life experiences. We can’t wait to see what they’ll build, but in the meantime, get to know the people behind the devices.

While Team EosFlight sees the recreational benefits of the personal flying device they’re building for the GoFly Prize, the team also envisions their device solving critical societal problems, namely reducing traffic reduction and maximizing efficiency in search and rescue operations. One of their biggest challenges? Reducing noise to ensure a quiet, pleasant experience for riders.

Below, hear from Team EosFlight’s Josh Cohen on his vision for a future that includes personal air travel and how his team plans to get there.

How did you realize you were passionate about aviation and flight?

We as a team have had this vision for many years now, but the GoFly Prize has enabled us to shape it. From being obsessed with engineering at a very young age, to marrying that obsession with aeronautics, our team has a huge passion for all things flight. We’ve been inspired by watching videos of milestones including the Wright Brothers’ first flight, the incredible creation of the Concorde, and the moon landing.

What excites you about GoFly?  

The GoFly Prize is allowing us to fulfil our dream of creating a different future for our world. The inner city vehicle we are creating will not only enable people to get from A to B in record time, but it also has the potential to save the lives of millions of people through more efficient search and rescue operations. The freedom and autonomy of personal flight are most exciting to us.

What is your biggest challenge in the GoFly Prize competition currently? How do you plan to overcome it?

Three spring to mind. Funding, time and noise. We are currently talking to investors to raise money for our Phase III submission to build the best version of our 1-1 scale prototype, which we are currently bootstrapping through our design agency.

Second, our team members are involved in various separate projects as well, which means that ensuring we are all spending time together is definitely a challenge. Noise has also become a huge consideration for us as we continue to figure out how to make a vehicle that is quiet enough for inner city travel.

What does the world look like after you create your flying device? How do you think you will change the world?

We know that our flying device could create a huge reduction in inner city overcrowding and a dramatic increase in the efficiency of our transport infrastructure. People will no longer need transport hubs and runways, and we’ll see a decrease in the number of motorized accidents given the vastness of the sky. Ambulance services will be able to help patients faster and more effectively. We view personal flight as the future of travel and transport.