We’ve achieved peak Uber.
Uber for groceries (actual thing). Uber for artisanal prosciutto (probably a thing). Uber for tennis buddies (definitely being pitched, right now, as a thing).
Somewhere, probably on Twitter, somebody’s making a joke about Uber for your mom.
Now there’s AirPooler — Uber for flights on private planes.
Ok, well actually it’s more like Lyft for private planes, but Lyft is Uber for the poors, so. Tautology FTW.
Anyway, the idea is simple, if implausible: a private pilot decides he’s winging out someplace for the weekend — say SoCal. He lists the flight and the amount of weight he’s got space for.
Then you, the AirPooler passenger, tag along for next to nothing.
That low cost is courtesy an FAA guideline that says private pilots aren’t allowed to turn a profit on a flight.
Meaning passengers are only on the hook for their portion of the actual flight cost — fuel and, in some cases, plane rental — plus AirPooler’s requisite beak-wetting.
Pilot catches a break on the cost of the winged life, and you skip the hassle of major airports and five-hour drives.
As for legality, private pilots can fly their friends wherever they see fit.
Meaning you’ve got a new friend for the next hour or two, and if Uber’s taught us anything, it’s that convenience comes with a surcharge of small talk.
Break the ice with a game of “Is there an Uber for that?”
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