‘Uber for helicopters’ is here and promises a quick ride to the airport

SURE you could catch a taxi or public transport to the airport, but that’s so yesterday.

Gotham Air, a new service dubbed the “Uber of helicopters,” has finally arrived and it promises to get you from a helipad to the airport in six minutes.

Launching in New York, an average ride will set customers back $280 per person.

Not bad, considering the cost of chartering an entire helicopter yourself can cost upwards of $1,000.
Potential customers can make bookings by logging on the company’s website or by downloading the app on an iPhone or Android device.

A colour coding system on the booking site will let users know if there is room left on an available flight or if a booking needs more passengers in order to fly.

Gotham Air chief executive Tim Hayes said flights would be chartered anytime between 8.00am — 8.00pm, as long as there is a minimum number of four people.

“The goal is, after the first month, for there to be green [or available] flights every hour,” he told Gizmodo.

“So you can see, OK, this flight is green, it’s confirmed, there are still two available seats left, and you could jump on it literally ten minutes before.”

If for some reason the helicopters remained grounded, the company has a Tesla S fleet in lieu
to act in the helicopters stead.

Currently the service only offers customers flights from a helipad in Manhattan to either Newark or JFK airports.

Still in the teething stages, Gotham Air has plans to expand flight times and locations in the coming months pending the public’s response.

Do you think the concept will take off or will it remained grounded?
Let us know in the comments below.

     

Watch Airbus Risk $1.5 Billion in a Wild Airplane Stunt

I've been obsessed with airplanes for most of my adult life, and if you ask me, there's nothing as awe-inspiring as formation flying.

Airbus recently took this remarkable skill to a whole new level in a promo video designed to show off its new A350 XWB passenger jet. The beautifully choreographed stunt involved five of the brand-new A350-900 jets, as well as two chase planes and a helicopter.

The costs of the shoot are unknown, but each jet has a list price of $300 million, so it's safe to assume that well over $1.5 billion of machinery was on the line.

For the shoot, Airbus pilots flew the jets in three different formations—arrow, diamond, and echelon—and completed a low pass in a diamond formation. Many of the pilots involved were ex-military members, so they were already familiar with formation flying. However, they came from a variety of different national Air Forces and Navies, so extensive pre-planning was necessary to ensure everyone understood the perfectly timed commands and signals.

Airbus's finished video showcases both the planning and execution of the incredible aerial maneuvers. It also provides a brief glimpse into how these aerial videos are shot—a process that Mike Kelley of Fstoppers has broken down in revealing detail.