In the sequel of Back to the Future directed by Robert Zemeckis, Marty Mcfly travels to 30 years into the future landing in the year 2015. During his time, he saw flying cars among other “future devices”. Little did anyone think that this would actually happen but in 2016 however, Uber revealed their next big project, UberAir.

This was to be a flying taxi platform capable of transporting 4-6 people via E-VTOL from one place to another. The appeal of disregarding traffic is a major factor as well as being able to travel from Sacramento to San Jose in about 15 minutes. If this system were to be implemented into today’s society, it would identify a new era of large scale transportation. Opening doors to an integrated system between users and their daily activities.

Cost

One view on the UberAir design is an article titled “Will You be Able to Afford UberAir’s Flying Car Service?“. This source is an online article I found doing a regular search regarding the financial analysis of a “flying taxi”. The genre of this source is an online article. The author’s name is Antuan Goodwin, he works as a Review Editor under Roadshow who is owned by CNET. After reading his review, you can tell he’s a little skeptical about the UberAir/Uber Elevate idea but I mean who isn’t skeptical? It’s a flying car, it’s understandable to be wary of something never done before.

The source goes in depth about how much a trip, using the UberAir, will cost.  Not only does he review the finances from a consumer’s point of view, but he also speaks about production cost, pilot training, “cost of maintaining large helipads and paying landing fees” (Antuan 1). Similarly, this source (non-member) was using techniques to pull in the reader and spoon feed the information.

Financial costs almost always limits aerospace/mechanical engineers, especially when traveling to space. Each rocket we send into space costs millions and billions of US dollars. Financial analysis must be conducted before any project starts. Accordingly, it is a goal of aerospace/mechanical engineers to reduce the cost of such projects. One solution that is being implemented right now in commercial airliners is composite alloys replacing metal frames. This allows for lighter aircraft reducing fuel costs and lowering emissions, now we just need to apply something similar to spacecraft.

Consumer’s Thoughts

Another view on UberAir’s flying taxi is titled “Check Out the Uber Air Flying Car That Will Transport Passengers of the Future“. This source is an online article written by Fortune. It describes a more consumer review on Uber’s flying taxi idea that many people have questions about. This source is an online magazine article full of videos and pictures, so I definitely recommend it if you’ve never heard of UberAir. The author of this article is Don Reisinger, a popular author hired under Fortune. It doesn’t appear that he is an expert in aerospace/mechanical but based on the content in the article, you can tell he has consulted with multiple experts to validate his post. Reisinger describes the “UberAir” model as if he attended the Uber Elevate summit quoting directly from the presentation. He illustrates the vehicles key components such as the rotor height, speed, passenger capacity, and range. Based on what I read, Reisinger has an indifferent view of Uber’s flying taxi therefore he is unbiased. You can find more information about Reisinger at the following link.

I feel that Reisinger wanted to give an overview of the concept to guide your thoughts and help facilitate your own opinion on the matter. Similar to Antuan’s article, Reisinger’s piece gives feedback to Uber allowing for some revision. Hearing public opinions about the project will help Uber refine the goals towards consumer’s needs.

Some current aerospace engineers might think this article is “dumbed-down” but I think it’s just more thoroughly explained to allow someone without technical experience to comprehend the topic. Another thing Reisinger does is he commonly gives his opinion on the matter to help you agree or disagree with his thoughts. Many aerospace and mechanical engineers lack this communication skill but I know if we learn to write like Reisinger does, we can transform the way engineers communicate.

Overview

Lastly, Uber’s own view on their UberAir product titled “Fast-Forwarding to a Future of On-Demand Urban Air Transportation”. This source is a research paper presented by Uber regarding their new air transportation concept model projected to start testing in 2020 and possible implementation in 2030. The genre of this source is a research paper. I’m sure this paper was written and edited by many people but since it is not explicitly stated, we must assume the whole company is the author.

This paper discusses the concept of a “flying taxi” and how it can benefit our way of travel saving us money and time while being efficient, reliable, and environmentally friendly. The concept of a quick and reliable aircraft used for commercial transportation has been a big research option over the past couple of years. NASA, Bell, and other aerospace/mechanical companies have either worked with Uber or tried to come up with their own model to patent it. Luckily for Uber, they’ve worked directly with NASA to come up with a nearly perfect model. Working with a company such as NASA allows Uber to have direct contact with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) which means less time for things to get approved.

Uber has consulted with plenty of experts to verify their work is following FAA protocol and safety factors. Uber is following a goal set out for all engineers, improve today’s technology so that the next generation can tackle new problems with tools not previously known.

How You Can Get Involved

Well first thing’s first we need to get you a degree since Uber is in high demand for designers, engineers, and financial analysts. If you’re just finishing up your high school career, this is perfect because by the time you get out of college, Uber will be towards the end of their journey on the first model. This means you don’t have to go through the minutia of micromanagement issues that are inevitable in the beginning of each project. You simply hop on the train. If you’re interested in the UberAir concept, go check out the Uber Elevate Summit on June 11-12 2019 in Washington D.C. and if you can’t make it their holding a live stream tomorrow morning at 6:00 am. For more information follow the link.

The purpose of this blog is to encourage and inform people about the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering field. It may seem complicated but I assure you that if you keep an open mind and stay persistent, everything will come easier. I will break down the basics on how to get into this field as well as what to prioritize to give yourself the best opportunity to obtain a career.

Don’t be intimidated but the pathway to being an Aerospace and Mechanical Engineer is paved with long nights and countless projects. The first step in conquering these insurmountable adversities is to establish why you’re putting yourself through them in the first place. Thankfully, in my case, I was exposed to the field early and often.

I grew up close to an airport so I would always watch airplanes fly in preparing to land. One day my parents took me to an airshow where they showcased countless military and commercial aircraft. I was hooked from the start. Finding that one gem that inspires you every day is priceless.

I hope I can shed some light on my experience in the field that will lead to something you can resonate with.