Flying car get ok by Feds

[RyrineaHaruno]

Terrafugia’s ‘flying car’ gets fed OK - BostonHerald.com

I want one :2razz:.

 

[UtahBill]

All you need is a pilot's license, and LOTS of money to buy it, more money to maintain it to FAA standards, more money for high insurance rates, more money for fuel (planes burn lots of gas), more money for suitable garage/hangar, etc.
How are things in 'umble lately?
I grew up in Northeast Houston, aka the swamp...

 

[Demon of Light]

 

[Glinda]

All you need is a pilot's license, and LOTS of money to buy it, more money to maintain it to FAA standards, more money for high insurance rates, more money for fuel (planes burn lots of gas), more money for suitable garage/hangar, etc.

Yes, this thing costs an arm and a leg ($194,000), and I assume insurance would cost another leg, but this is a rich person's toy. Money isn't really a concern to these folks, right?

More info: you only need 20 hours of training to get a pilot's license and it uses basic unleaded gas. As for parking it, well, it's a car (with wings). Parking shouldn't really be a problem.

The Terrafugia glided over FAA hurdles for vehicle classification. "The FAA has classified the Terrafugia Transition as a 'light sport aircraft,' which is the smallest classification for a private airplane. This means that it is possible to get a license to fly the thing with only 20 hours of flying time, much less than a standard pilot's license," explains Inside Line.

"According to its maker, the Terrafugia can transform from a roadable vehicle that can hit a highway speed of 65 mph to a winged aircraft in 30 seconds. The plane version can cruise at about 115 mph (185 kph) and cover about 400 miles (644 kilometers) worth of turf before needing a refill of regular unleaded gas," says MSNBC.

So, with just 20 hours of training, you could fly from Los Angeles to San Francisco in about three and a half hours. Driving that distance takes nearly seven hours -- and that's before you take traffic into account. The Terrafugia isn't exactly something George Jetson would recognize, but it's a step in the right direction. The Terrafugia will start at $194,000. The company has already reported 70 pre-orders. The first deliveries are expected sometime in 2011. --Your Flying Car is Coming

 

[Deuce]

Eh, stick a jet engine on it and I'm in.

Alternatively, if one of you were to buy me one of these, I would fly you around anywhere you want to go for life!

 

[rathi]

Flying cars as regular transport if probably never going to be a reality. However, I think the concept is quite viable if you purely think of it as a plane you can park in your garage and drive to the airport.

 

[Goshin]

I'm wondering what it was OK'd as; by which I mean what sort of classification. Is it covered under the Ultralight rules, and you can take off from your backyard without filing a flight plan? Or is it a standard aircraft and requires a regular pilot's license and etc?

 

[Deuce]

I'm wondering what it was OK'd as; by which I mean what sort of classification. Is it covered under the Ultralight rules, and you can take off from your backyard without filing a flight plan? Or is it a standard aircraft and requires a regular pilot's license and etc?

Light Sport Aircraft. It doesn't require a full-fledged private pilot's license, but rather the somewhat easier to obtain sport pilot certificate. A SPL allows very basic operation and requires somewhat significant oversight by a flight instructor. Although, as a flight instructor myself, I'd prefer the SPL not exist in the first place. I've never been a fan of lowering the standards for pilots.
To fly VFR (visual flight rules) you don't need to file a flight plan for any aircraft. So, yes, someone could take off from their backyard assuming they had enough room and a suitably maintained strip of grass.