If you’ve ever wanted to be able to pull out your phone and request a helicopter as easily as you request an Uber, then Blade is for you.
That’s right – you can have a helicopter fly you and your friends around by downloading and using the Blade app. Now don’t get us wrong; this isn’t going to cost as much as an Uber – it’ll be a little more expensive. However, that’s to be expected when you’re summoning a helicopter out of the sky like some medieval enchanter.
Blade works by using third-party contractors to fly and manage their own helicopters. This minimizes the amount of money Blade has to spend maintaining their own equipment to almost nothing. Currently, with Covid-19, air travel isn’t very sought-after or needed, what with everybody quarantining and staying in their own countries or states. However, the investment market expects things to open back up again significantly in 2021, meaning there is a growing interest in apps like Blade.
Currently, there are zero apps like Blade, which means it could stand to be a nationally recognized brand within a few months of its full launch. There are also several interested parties, as the U.S. is full of young rich folk with plenty of money to flash and no sense of decorum whatsoever.
There has been interest shown in this field by other companies. Notably, Uber had the “Elevate” portion of their business, which worked under a similar concept, but they’ve since gotten rid of it for undisclosed reasons. Maybe they were intimidated by a new player in the field. Or maybe they just didn’t think there would be enough national interest to keep such a sector of their business active. While everyone likes the idea of being able to hire a helicopter from their smartphone, few people can afford it.
Nonetheless, that hasn’t deterred Blade from putting their best rotors forward. It also hasn’t stopped investors from pouring assets and support into the company, which has quite a bit of support and recognition already. The company maintains that its helicopters are safe, efficient, fast, and above all: fun. We’ll wait and see if the public agrees.
Photo Credit: verticalmag.com