Flying Cars, Rocket Ships, Self-Piloting Drones and More Abound at UP.Summit 2023

In this special edition of the Future of FLYING newsletter, we give you an inside look at some of the most futuristic aircraft on Earth—and a roundup of the biggest news.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, October 05, 2023 at 06:25 PM ET

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Cowboy hat-donning UP.Summit attendees are treated to an airshow on a clear opening night Wednesday in Dallas. [Courtesy: Jack Daleo/FLYING]

Key Takeaways:

Leading eVTOL companies like Joby, Archer, and Wisk announced significant advancements in flight testing, including crewed flights and autonomous operations in urban environments, alongside securing key partnerships and contracts.
Drone technology is expanding into diverse commercial applications, exemplified by Wing and Zipline launching new delivery services for retail and food, and Sikorsky partnering to automate wildfire suppression.
The summit showcased broader aviation innovation, including Beta Technologies opening an electric aircraft assembly plant, Jetson Aero securing celebrity investment for personal eVTOLs, and new initiatives fostering startups in the industry.

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Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter…with a twist! This week, I’m on-site in Dallas covering the UP.Summit, an annual, invite-only gathering of 300 of the transportation industry’s most dynamic, groundbreaking, and futuristic technology companies.

Among them are many of the same aircraft you’ve seen me highlight in this column each week, from drones, to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) designs, to spacecraft that have been to the International Space Station and back.