Uber, NASA develop ATM plan

NASA and Uber will be working together to ensure the company’s plans to deploy a fleet of flying taxis by 2020 gets off the ground through the advancements of NASA’s Urban Air Mobility program. Uber announced a new cooperation with NASA to develop the necessary Air Traffic Management (ATM) infrastructure at a Nov. 7 web summit in Portugal. The program isn’t expressly designed for Uber, but an evolution of a more ambitious plan by NASA to work with the FAA, and research institutions, to develop a method to manage the lower airspace in the near future; and keep those low-flying vehicles on course and at safe distances with little human intervention. NASA is confident it can be done. Uber is working with Aurora Flight Sciences (AFS) to develop software to manage its future flying taxi fleet and is working with Embraer, Mooney, Bell Helicopter and Pipistrel Aircraft to develop new electric-powered VTOL aircraft to be used for the service. (Source: Tnooz.com 11/10/17) Central Mississippi Note: AFS was recently bought by Boeing; and operates a plant in Columbus, Miss.