Flying Car passes test flight

[Ken_gone_flying]

The article says you only need a "sport pilot" license to operate.



http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/04/transition_beta_test/

 

[BarrettRC8]

As long as you still have to operate it from an airport, I don't really see the point.

Neat - Sure. Ugly - Definitely. Pointless - Eh, maybe not depending on the technology it inspires in the future.

 

[scoolbubba]

I like their deposit guarantee. Neat idea, it'll be interesting to see how it works out after the terrafugia mk II comes out. I wonder if it's more fuel efficient in the air or on the ground.

 

[PropAddict]

depending on the technology it inspires in the future.

Agreed.

It has mediocre performance as an airplane, terrible asthetics, and supremely average performance as a car. Not to mention the impracticalities of driving around town with folded wings bouncing around, or leaving one in a gracery store parking lot.

Those who buy it will likely do so just to say they have one, vice ever actually using it. I suspect Leno's already put a deposit in and has a display in his garage being built for it.

Now, the lessons learned from this applied to the 2nd or 3rd generation, with fully retractable wings that stow in the floorboards, and STOVL capabilities WILL be quite a thing to have.

 

[red_ryder]

Oh great, even more yokels dangerously clogging up the airspace.

It's bad enough how some people drive their cars around!

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

Oh great, even more yokels dangerously clogging up the airspace.

It's bad enough how some people drive their cars around!

Ha, that was my first thought. I don't think people with 20 hrs. of flight time (recreational pilot license) have enough knowledge about airspace to be flying around (in planes or cars).

 

[BACONATOR]

Ha, that was my first thought. I don't think people with 20 hrs. of flight time (recreational pilot license) have enough knowledge about airspace to be flying around (in planes or cars).

That's why, as far as I know, recreational pilots are limited wrt airspace/night flying etc. You'd never have an airliner sharing airspace with a flying shopping cart.

 

[BurghGuy]

The only real useful application I see would be rural commuting. Take it from garage to local airport, take off, fly to another local, drive it to work, then back. And one thing that no one has mentioned is that parking it in your garage is probably cheaper than renting a spot at a field (which is presumably offset by the cost of the plane itself, but I digress).

Nothing more than a fancy toy. I don't see "flying cars" becoming practical on a large scale... ever... Something about turning all our drunk drivers into erratic missiles freaks me out.

 

[Ken_gone_flying]

That's why, as far as I know, recreational pilots are limited wrt airspace/night flying etc. You'd never have an airliner sharing airspace with a flying shopping cart.

I just found out that there is a difference between a recreational pilot's license and a sport pilot's license (thought it was the same). A sport pilot license is actually what you need to fly this car around. Otto, you were right in saying that they are limited to day flights. However, the link below provides weather mins for sport pilots in each type of airspace. It appears that their only restriction is that they cannot fly above 10,000 feet. As far as airspace, it says "All except A with additional endorsements."

This link is info about a Sport License:
http://www.goodsportaviation.com/Air-Space-Matrix.php


This link compares Sport, Recreational, and Private Licenses:
http://www.goodsportaviation.com/Compare-Pilot-Certificates.php