A flying car. No, really. First test flight:
And, while it looks like a tight fit in the garage, still…
Of course, at an expected $194,000 price, I’d have to start buying lottery tickets AND win… *heh* Well, it doesn’t cost anything to briefly dream about such a thing, but life has other demands. Oh, well. 🙂
Part of the aviation community or rather NASA and the FAA have for some time been floating the idea of ‘free flight’. The notion essentially hopes to alleviate the problem with crowded skies and traffic control headaches by giving everyone the ability to fly where they want in personal aircraft.
My initial reaction was thinking of how whacky it is negotiating current land based transportation venues with other members of the public and the scary thought of doing that in three dimensions.
I still hold on to the dream of building my own aircraft and/or designing one through to test flight. While it won’t require winning the lottery the time required is currently a big obstacle. Perhaps I should be content with simply using my certificate for flying other people’s aircraft.
Stanford, I think “free flight” could work with off-the-shelf technologies used in new and ingenious ways. Collision avoidance technology still in its infancy could be seriously enhanced with OTS computer and sensor gear, for example, gear that five or ten years ago was either a pipe dream or horrendously expensive. Possible and affordable today? Maybe. Things like that (and others) would be necessary to get me into a sky peopled by the folks I avoid on the roads today on a daily basis.
OTOH, perhaps the “free flight” folks are thinking of giving Darwin a hand with the evolution of the human race?
I don’t think I’d be too worried about “knuckleheads” flying these things at $200,000 a pop.
The first ten years or so would probably be the safest time (human error wise) for “free flight” as only people with a brain and their shit together could afford one.
Once the government subsidization program kicked in so everybody can partake in the “American Dream of owning a flying car” things would get screwey in a hurry. Bruthas would be trying to customize theirs with add on parts and chrome whatsits, hispanics would be flying too low all the time or taking a siesta, soccer moms would be tyring to put on makeup instead of following their flight plan… madness.
“Bruthas would be trying to customize theirs with add on parts and chrome whatsits, hispanics would be flying too low all the time or taking a siesta… ”
Oh, yeh! Pimped out planes and low-riders!
But seriously, Woody, I’m sure you can point out more than a few knuckleheaded millionaires (just bow West toward Hollyweird) and other “exceptional” (bow East toward D.C.) people who’d be in line for “free flight” madness. That’s when mandatory autopiloting features would become necessary: right from the start.
What a great driving bill board that would make, land it and drive around with the wings selling Coke, Pepsi, OO7 movies….