A flying taxi. What do you think, are you up for it? Imagine you're flying into Seatac Airport but the hotel you want to stay at is in downtown Seattle. You can take a bus downtown that might only take you 45 minutes to an hour. Soon you'll be able to take the light rail, I have no idea how long that will take. Look forward a year or two, you could take an air taxi. 

The whole idea of air taxis really started taking off, (no pun intended) With the development of new, more efficient battery technologies. There are multiple companies right now that Have either applied for or are in the process of getting FAA approval for flights in the United States. 

according to nationalgeographic.com, 
More than 150 technology companies have been working towards developing the vehicles, with a consensus largely forming that the flying taxi of the near future will look something like a drone. - Advances in lithium-ion batteries, electric motors and the software to help guide flights have made all the difference. “ 

When I think about these things flying Willy nilly all over the skyline, the first thing I think of is how do we control flight paths? What is the FAA doing for this? What does air traffic control look like in this new age of flying taxis? 

It's not good enough that the vehicles be Structurally sound and fly reliably. How do we keep these things from running into each other? That's the question and I don't have an answer. 

Archer Aviation just received FDA approval for. Commercial air taxi flights in the United States. Joby aviation Says they just completed pre-production testing and now are moving into production prototype certification. Volocopter has been given the OK to do serial production in Europe. There are many more companies working on this kind of product either for commercial or personal use.

They are calling it Urban Air Mobility (UAM) So it's not just about air taxis, it's about personal flying vehicles maybe parked in your backyard. Remember the Jetsons? That may be where we're heading and if you think driving in traffic is a pain right now.  

Wait till you're in the air. Don't forget to signal before you make your turn. 

So, when do you think we're going to see air taxis at Pangborn Field? Personally, I think it's going to be a while yet. 

Everything you need to know about flying taxis (nationalgeographic.com)
FAA certifies Archer Aviation to fly commercial eVTOL air taxis (electrek.co)
Volocopter gets green light to begin eVTOL production in Europe (electrek.co)
Doroni unveils production-intent H1-X eVTOL for personal air travel (electrek.co)

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Gallery Credit: JD Knight

 

Mysterious Flying Object Leaves Eastern Washington Afraid

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Gallery Credit: Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM

 

 

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