By Chris Stonor
It is surprising the power of the three letters – BBC – and when combined with the word science, this immediately offers an article credibility, weight, and overall “believability”. Therefore, it is yet more encouragement to read a feature by the BBC Science Focus Magazine with the headline above.
The subheading is: “Just a few years ago, it felt like flying cars were still a distant sci-fi future. But investment has increased rapidly, and a number of companies are now building air taxis to make our city journeys faster, easier and cleaner.”
This is a positive and well-researched article, using Vertical Aerospace as its primary focus with quotes from the company’s Director, Andrew Macmillan as well as a Clint Harper of the Los Angeles Urban Movement Labs.
Andrew Macmillan
The article emphasises the speed of eVTOL travel, this being a typical example: “Imagine travelling cross-country from Liverpool to Hull, or flying over water from South Wales to Cornwall, or Belfast to Glasgow. Even a seemingly pedestrian journey from Heathrow Airport to Cambridge takes two hours or more by car or train. You could do it in 20 minutes in an air taxi.”
It ends with the expected comment from Macmillan, “Safety certification is the tipping point. Once you start seeing that happen, then you know it’s real because you’ll just see them flying through the air.”
So true. Successful certification of the leading eVTOL companies, followed by a “WOW!” from the general public after the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 and this industry has LIFT OFF.
The BBC Science Focus article is worth a read.
Read Article:
https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/air-taxis-flying-cars/
