We’re going to Uber’s ‘flying car’ event in Texas this week

On Tuesday, Uber will kick off its very first “Elevate Summit,” a three-day conference in Dallas on vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft — more commonly known as “flying cars.” It should be an interesting discussion about the possibilities and pitfalls in developing an on-demand airborne ride-hailing service, and Uber is promising some news will surface out of the conference. So naturally The Verge will be there to cover all the highs and lows.

Perhaps you forgot that Uber was dipping its toe into VTOL investment, what with all the harassment allegations and legally dubious corporate habits. Let me refresh you: Last October, the company released a white paper that envisioned a flying taxi service as a network of lightweight, electric aircraft that take off and land vertically from preexisting urban heliports and skyscraper rooftops. A few months later, the company hired Mark Moore, the former chief technologist for on-demand mobility at NASA’s Langley Research Center and one of the leading thinkers on VTOL aviation.

These VTOL (pronounced vee-toll) aircraft would operate using fixed wings with tilt prop-rotors. In other words, they would take off vertically like a helicopter, and then accelerate into forward flight using wing-borne lift.

Most notably, Uber said it wasn’t going to build its own flying car, but stood ready to “contribute to the nascent but growing VTOL ecosystem and to start to play whatever role is most helpful to accelerate this industry’s development.” That probably translates into, “Come to us with a decent prototype and we’ll buy it.”

We expect more details about Uber’s plans as the conference in Dallas kicks off. The event will be live-streamed, so feel free to follow along remotely, and will feature a host of industry players, experts, regulators, and elected officials talking about the technology of VTOL and how Uber and others plan on getting this project off the ground. Keep it locked to The Verge for more stories, as well as our Facebook and Instagram accounts for cool stuff from the event.

I know what you’re thinking: “Uber and flying cars? Sounds like a recipe for disaster.” Indeed, while the ride-hailing company has been ping-ponging from one crisis to another, it’s far-out-seeming goals for the future remain fascinating to track. Self-driving cars, electric aircraft... say what you will about the company’s current imbroglio (and we’ve said a lot). At least when it comes to thinking about the future of transportation, Uber’s not afraid to be seen with its head in the clouds.