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:

The UP.Summit showcased significant advancements in eVTOL aircraft, with companies like Joby Aviation achieving crewed flight tests, Archer Aviation securing major Air Force contracts, and new personal eVTOLs like Jetson One and Pivotal's Helix entering the market.
Autonomous flight technology is expanding its applications, demonstrated by Sikorsky and Rain's collaboration on uncrewed firefighting helicopters, Reliable Robotics' progress with large military aircraft automation, and Wisk Aero's autonomous air taxi flight tests in urban environments.
Strategic partnerships and investments are fueling the growth of future aviation, including celebrity funding for personal eVTOLs, major drone delivery expansions by Wing and Zipline with retail partners, and the establishment of new manufacturing facilities and innovation labs.

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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.