Uber says it will bring its flying taxis to Los Angeles in 2020

[brooklynite]

Source: Los Angeles Times

In just over two years, Uber says it will let commuters soar over Los Angeles' snarled traffic in flying taxis.

The ride-hailing firm announced Wednesday that L.A. will be one of the first cities served by UberAir, which it says will begin ferrying passengers across the region in electric aircraft in 2020.

Aviation manufacturers such as Embraer, Bell Helicopter, Pipistrel, Aurora Flight Sciences, and Mooney Aviation will supply and pilot the aircraft. Uber will operate the software that passengers use to book a trip and take a commission, much like with Uber rides on the ground.

“We’re trying to work with cities in the early days who are interested in partnering to make it happen, while knowing that there will be pitfalls along the way,” said Jeff Holden, Uber’s chief product officer, explaining why the company chose Los Angeles and Dallas as the first cities to test the service.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-uberair-la-20171108-story.html

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. It will be interesting to see if this really happens.

Every so often someone will lament that we still don't have flying cars, and I point out that we really don't want all of the terrible drivers we experience every day on the roads, to be doing their terrible driving in three dimensions.

[haele]

2. Much as I like the idea of flying cars - oh, hell no...

Even if they're anti-grav because the "flying taxi" is built from unobtanium.

You have an engine failure in a normal car on the freeway or a busy street, you can hopefully just coast or push your car to the shoulder, but even if you can't, you're pretty much only a hazard to yourself with the exception of idiots driving other cars.

You have an engine failure at 100 - 500 ft in a 1/2 ton vehicle in a city or over a residential area, you're causing some serious damage and you and your passengers are not going to just walk away to the nearest call box like you can when coasting to the shoulder off the freeway.

Haele

[snooper2]

4. Did you read the content of the OP?

[xor]

11. These will just be small helicopter-type craft piloted by trained professionals

They still trying to work out the specifics, but it seems within the realm of what is feasible. The time frame of 2-years might be a bit overly optimistic, though. The article even suggests that much.

[klook]

3. Sorry Frank R. Paul isn't around to see this!

[BumRushDaShow]

5. ...

[AllaN01Bear]

6. this ?

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQQo-ywJar9cr_SEI6p7SkQOZVYTBeynYXLBkCUOkRaVdUfk1Iy0g

[Ellen Forradalom]

7. BladeRunner Air

[Blue_Adept]

8. Just waiting on the whole Blade Runner visual

[cemaphonic]

9. No prototype, no infrastructure, and they've barely begun talking to the FAA

Even by Uber standards, 2020 is some ridiculous hype. Plus, the way this is described, it will still be planes flying from airport to airport. Might be useful if you need to travel from one end of the region to another, but it doesn't allow point-to-point travel, so it's not going to be a substitute for traditional commuting.

And seriously, even with Trump gutting our regulatory agencies, they're smoking crack if they think the FAA is going to be OK with thousands of unmanned planes flying low-altitude over some of the largest urban ares in the US.

[keithbvadu2]

10. I might have some doubts... Where can we bet against it really happening by then?

I might have some doubts... Where can we bet against it really happening by then?

I hope that's not vague.

[Coventina]

12. Sounds like ISIS' threat to conquer Rome.

[dalton99a]

13. "Uber says it plans to develop aircraft that fly themselves"

and crash and burn

[cstanleytech]

14. So Uber is just supplying a booking software for other companies? Big deal.

If they ever come up with a hack proof safe flying car that does not require a pilot I will be impressed but until then the idea is still a pipe dream just like it has been for decades.