Aerospace

Uber plans to test flying cars in Dallas, Dubai by 2020

Uber says officials in Dallas-Fort Worth, Dubai have signed on to work with the company on testing vehicles that can take off and land vertically in their cities by 2020
San Francisco: Uber Technologies Inc. hopes to one day operate a network of flying cars. On Tuesday, the ride-hailing company laid out some aggressive plans to get closer to its first flight.
Officials in Dallas-Fort Worth and Dubai have signed on to work with the company on testing vehicles that can take off and land vertically in their cities by 2020, Uber said at a conference in Dallas. The San Francisco company said it’s partnering with a handful of aircraft manufacturers and real estate firms, as well as with ChargePoint Inc. to lay an electric charging network.
Uber sketched out a clearer vision for its flying taxis at a time when it’s struggling with more urgent problems at the ground level. The company is facing an internal investigation of its work culture, the ongoing search for a chief operating officer to help its embattled leader Travis Kalanick, a core business with mounting losses despite rapid growth and a lawsuit from Alphabet Inc.’s self-driving car group over alleged theft of documents
In addition to being a rival in the courtroom, Alphabet could pose competition in the skies. Chief executive officer Larry Page funded at least two flying car projects. The startups Kitty Hawk and Zee.Aero, which are separate from Alphabet, are racing to build personal aircrafts similar to those Uber has proposed. Kitty Hawk released a video on Monday showing one of its vehicles zooming across a lake, hovering about 15 feet in the air, with a rider astride the top like on a motorcycle. Airbus SE has proposed several different concepts for vertical takeoff vehicles, and the government of Dubai is joining with China’s EHang to bring closed-top passenger drones to the city.
Uber first revealed its intentions to build a system of flying cars in a white paper last fall. In February, the company said it hired Nasa aircraft engineer Mark Moore to work on Uber Elevate, its flying car initiative. Uber said Tuesday that it’s teaming up with Aurora Flight Sciences, Pipistrel Aircraft, Embraer SA, Mooney International Corp. and Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. to develop electric vehicles. It also said it’s working with Hillwood Properties in Dallas-Fort Worth and several other real estate firms in Dubai to choose sites and construct ports for vehicle takeoffs and landings. Bloomberg

Courtesy: Live mint

Aerospace

When Ratan Tata was denied entry to the airfield at the Aero India show, he waited

During our visit to Aero India 2019, we had the unexpected opportunity to see Ratan Tata at the event, which was a thrilling moment for us. However, there was a surprising hiccup when the security staff didn’t allow him to enter due to a lack of a security pass.

Despite this, he remained calm and patiently waited for about 20 minutes until a member of the Tata team brought him the required pass, after which he calmly proceeded inside. It was a humbling sight, showcasing his composed demeanor even in such situations.

Ratan Tata ji is not only a renowned industrialist but also a trained pilot, holding a pilot’s license. In 2007, he became the first Indian civilian to fly the F-16 Falcon during the Aero India show in Bangalore—a proud moment for the nation.

His passion for aviation extended beyond flying, as he played a key role in shaping India’s aerospace industry. Under his leadership, Tata ventured into manufacturing and maintaining aerospace components while upholding its legacy of quality. Notably, Tata’s collaboration with Airbus to develop and manufacture the C295 aircraft is a testament to its growing influence in the sector.