---
title: "You Can Now Take an Online Course in Flying-Car Engineering"
description: "Udacity founder Sebastian Thrun is a believer in flying cars."
date: "2018-01-25"
modified: "2019-07-02"
authors:
  - name: "Stephen Edelstein"
    job_title: "Weekend Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stephen-edelstein"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/tech/17961/you-can-now-take-an-online-course-in-flying-car-engineering"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Airbus"
  - "Engineering"
  - "flying cars"
  - "Startups"
  - "Uber"
  - "Udacity"
---

# You Can Now Take an Online Course in Flying-Car Engineering

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/04/kitty-hawk-flyer-hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Despite the feverish proclamations of [Airbus](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/6979/airbuss-self-flying-cars-on-track-for-testing-later-this-year>), [Uber](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/15882/uber-and-nasa-to-bring-flying-cars-to-los-angeles>), and a [constellation of startups](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/16897/australian-startup-alauda-wants-to-race-flying-cars-by-the-end-of-the-decade>), it's still unclear whether flying cars will actually work in the real world. But that hasn't stopped [online teaching](<https://crushempire.com/>) startup Udacity from offering a course in flying-car engineering.

Udacity, which also offers [a course in self-driving cars](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/14479/you-can-take-an-online-course-in-self-driving-cars-thanks-to-lyft-and-udacity>), is [accepting applications](<https://blog.udacity.com/2018/01/flying-car-nanodegree-program-applications-open.html>) for the flying-car course and plans to begin classes in February. Udacity founder and self-driving car engineer Sebastian Thrun told [*Reuters*](<https://www.reuters.com/article/us-auto-flyingcars-degree/self-driving-car-experts-offer-online-degree-in-flying-cars-idUSKBN1FC2KE>) that he expects at least 10,000 people to sign up for the course.

The so-called "nano degree" program consists of two 12-week terms, at $1,200 each. Individual classes include "Aerial Robotics" and "Intelligent Air Systems." Udacity's online courses are designed to accredit students in specific fields at a fraction of the time and cost of [traditional education](<https://testprepclub.org/about-us/>). Thrun believes this will quickly train a large number of engineers for the tech industry.

Thrun was the first leader of Google's self-driving car project, now known as Waymo. Prior to that, managed Stanford University teams in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge self-driving car contests. He retains close ties to Google parent Alphabet, specifically with co-founder Larry Page. That helps explain Thrun's interest in teaching people about flying cars.

Both Page and Thrun are involved with flying-car startup [Kitty Hawk Corporation](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/9617/google-co-founder-reveals-flying-car-called-kitty-hawk-flyer>). Thrun is Kitty Hawk's chief executive and a co-owner of the company. Thrun told *Reuters* that "'flying car' might be a bit of a misnomer—more of an attention grabber." Kitty Hawk's prototype (pictured above) is indeed decidedly un-carlike, but Thrun said the company is serious about developing some form of personal flying vehicle.

Udacity's online course could provide Thrun with a pool of engineers to make his flying-car dreams a reality, but it's hard not to think he and other like-minded tech personalities are jumping the gun here. People have been trying to develop flying cars for decades, and invariably failed. What makes these latest flying-car efforts any different?

## Author
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he's not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/SAEdelstein>)