The Future of Aircraft Electrification

A resounding applause fills an auditorium in Fort Worth, Texas, as engineers, researchers, and business leaders stand in unison to celebrate the closing keynote of another aerospace conference. Participants grab their belongings and file out into the street where they clamor for rides to the airport. I hail a cab and glance at my watch, noting that in 45 minutes, I'm expected at a meeting in Austin-about 200 miles away. Just then, a taxi pulls up to the curb. I step inside, and as soon the door closes, I'm up in the air. Fifteen minutes later, I land in Austin beside my car; I hop in and head to the meeting location. I arrive soon after, with time to spare.

Stories like this were used in the past to paint a futuristic picture of the transportation industry. Visionaries would share them to entice businesses to invest in new modes of travel that, at the time, seemed only possible in dreams.