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

Verified

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:

Several eVTOL companies announced significant milestones, including Joby Aviation's first crewed flights and Archer Aviation securing initial funding from a $142 million Air Force contract.
Autonomous flight and drone delivery systems showed expanding applications, with Wing partnering with Walmart for Dallas deliveries and Sikorsky collaborating on automated firefighting helicopters.
New infrastructure for advanced air mobility is emerging, highlighted by Beta Technologies opening its first electric aircraft assembly plant in Vermont.
The summit also showcased diverse investments and partnerships, from will.i.am backing a personal eVTOL to Alaska Airlines and UP.Labs launching an aviation innovation incubator.

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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.