Ep. 01: Flying Boats are the Future

About the CompanyRegent is revolutionizing transportation with electric sea gliders - flying boats that operate in ground effect over water. The company serves dual markets: defense and commercial. On the defense side, they’re developing high-speed maritime solutions for Indo-Pacific operations with 180 mph speeds and 1,600-mile range using hybrid propulsion. Commercially, they’ve secured $10 billion in backlog from airlines and ferry companies for all-electric vehicles that travel just under 200 miles at twice the speed and half the cost of existing transportation modes.About the GuestBilly Thalheimer is the co-founder and CEO of Regent. He holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from MIT in aerospace engineering (Course 16), specializing in aircraft design and aerodynamics. Before founding Regent, Billy worked at prominent aerospace companies including Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Aurora Flight Sciences (later acquired by Boeing), where he helped develop some of the early eVTOL technology. He went through Y Combinator’s Winter 2021 cohort and co-founded Regent with Mike Klinker, who handles flight controls and software.Key Topics of Conversation* Origin Story: How MIT aerospace engineers pivoted from traditional aviation to sea gliders* Technology Deep Dive: Electric propulsion advantages, ground effect physics, and hybrid systems* Market Economics: Why short-haul aviation maintenance costs drove their business model* Defense Applications: Maritime dominance in the Indo-Pacific, casualty evacuation (CASEVAC)* Commercial Traction: $10 billion backlog and partnerships with airlines/ferry operators* Regulatory Strategy: Navigating maritime vs aviation certification pathways* Competition Analysis: Differentiation from eVTOLs and traditional marine vessels* Funding & Growth: Scaling hardware development with strategic capital sources* Industry Criticism: Bold takes on DARPA effectiveness and government R&D priorities* Founder Advice: Building hardware companies and navigating aerospace/maritime sectorsLearn more about Regent: https://www.regentcraft.com/Follow Billy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamthalheimer/Follow Austin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinelliottgray/Follow Tim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tglinatsis/Subscribe to Rebuilding the Fleet:* Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rebuilding-the-fleet/id1852025705* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4y9QghHY1jGi2XhdiVmWlj* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RebuildingTheFleet This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit austinegray.substack.com