When Uber first announced that it was looking into flying cars, I was skeptical that the idea was little more than a very expensive pipe dream. But, a new hire — from NASA, of all places — shows how serious Uber actually is.
Uber has hired Mark Moore as director of engineering for aviation, Bloomberg reports. He’ll be working on Uber Elevate, which seeks to develop craft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). Moore used to be an aircraft engineer at NASA’s Langley Research Center, and in 2010, he published a white paper about electric aircraft with VTOL capabilities that could replace cars for commuting.
« Uber continues to see its role as a catalyst to the growing developing VTOL ecosystem, » said Nikhil Goel, head of product for Uber’s advanced programs, in a statement.
Fear of flying? Well, um, there’s always walking…
Uber Elevate wants to upend the traditional work commute. The company produced its own 99-page white paper that envisioned a network of VTOL-capable aircraft that could simplify a suburb-to-city commute and general urban travel.
