Fly to work?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7860966/Terrafugia-Transition-flying-car-gets-go-ahead-from-US-air-authorities.html

$200,000 flying car that gets 30 mpg and only requires 20 hours training.

Dunno, I've seen some crazy stuff on the freeway, can't imagine some of those pinheads off the ground.

Dan

I imagine that this would be a poor handling car and not a very capable airplane. I heard of a guy in the Los Angeles area that had small piper cub type airplane and 5-6 cars that he left at airports in the areas he needed to do business. He would fly all around the area bypassing the heavy traffic.

Can you imagine the average person flying one of those when they can barely drive to the end of the block without making waffles in the car and sending a Twit about it?

pilotbraden wrote: I heard of a guy in the Los Angeles area that had small piper cub type airplane and 5-6 cars that he left at airports in the areas he needed to do business. He would fly all around the area bypassing the heavy traffic.

That's not a bad idea for someone in that, admittedly unusual, situation.

You know you haters want one. Imagine flying over the clogged interstates of Washington DC!

blah, blah, pipe dream, blah, blah Ronald Reagan ATC, etc, nag, bitch, complain.

Xceler8x wrote: Imagine flying over the clogged interstates of Washington DC!

Imagine flying over the clogged interstates along with thousands of other people in their airplane-cars.

That's the thing they never talk about - people wouldn't be flying in nice neat orderly rows through the air like they did on the Jetsons.

Xceler8x wrote: You know you haters want one. Imagine flying over the clogged interstates of Washington DC!

Then with everyone up there where it's crowded, I'll stay on the ground and enjoy congestion-free highways

So ... what class does it run at the autocross?

Do cones blown over after you pass count against you?

Molt Taylor did it better.

JeepinMatt wrote: Can you imagine the average person flying one of those when they can barely drive to the end of the block without making waffles in the car and sending a Twit about it?

Nope, because you'll still need a pilots license and will be operating under normal FAA guidelines when it's in the air.

I met the guys behind that thing at SolidWorks World in Orlando a couple years ago. They genuinely believe they can earn a living from selling $200,000 items which are neither good cars nor airplanes. They also believe that there's nothing wrong with the product name "Terrafugia".

Taylor couldn't sell any of his Aerocars, I know this Terrafugia won't last either. Some may buy it for the novelty, but would never drive it and park on any ol street. I used to fly to work every weekend, but I worked at an airport. You going to fly that thing to the local airport, then fold the wings and drive it to a city block or parking garage? Then do the reverse to come home. Thats like an extra hour and a half of work to cut down your commute time by 1/2. Still come out behind when its all said and done.

I may have exaggerated a bit, I just read this thing folds its wings in seconds. Doesn't change my mind though, still not a fan. May be the artist in me, Terrafugia just doesn't look right.

How long before we see something like this though:

The post-apocalyptic outback doesn't even have a major traffic problem and folks on the ground are still annoyed with those overhead. Now how is this idea going to work with our road-rage plagued highways?

Make sure that a giant middle finger is painted onto the underbelly for effect.

In reply to mblommel:

I'd never want to see something like that.

how about this plane (mooney, cirrus sr...) + http://www.foldingmotorbike.com/

life is good

mblommel wrote: How long before we see something like this though:

Those are real... Search for 'gyrocopter' or 'autogyro'. I've heard they're an excellent way to kill yourself. Still, I'm probably dumb enough to try one if I had the opportunity.

I think he meant Lord Humongous.

Well that exists too if you're into it... Just need to find the right nightclubs.

I think there's a pretty good chance you could see Lord Humongous on the freeway in LA.

Salanis wrote:

JeepinMatt wrote: Can you imagine the average person flying one of those when they can barely drive to the end of the block without making waffles in the car and sending a Twit about it?

Nope, because you'll still need a pilots license and will be operating under normal FAA guidelines when it's in the air.

So, are you suggesting that it will be OK because average morons won't be able to get a pilot's license?

Pilots tweet too, even in the air, and it doesn't make any difference that they've got a pilot's license.

It's actually pretty easy to not pay attention to what you are doing in a modern airplane. They fly by pre-programmed auto pilots on predetermined flight plans. Makes internet surfing a breeze.

Xceler8x wrote: You know you haters want one. Imagine flying over the clogged interstates of Washington DC!

I'm more comfortable sitting in traffic than I would be with a pair of F-14 escorts on each wingtip!

I live 2 blocks from a small municipal airport. There's a fellow there who had about a half dozen of those little gyrocopters, and has a hangar all his own for them. He even gives lessons on weekends.

Apparently he gets off his regular job later in the evening, and likes to rotate them in a trial run every night. He will take one on a 20-30 minute test flight, flying circles around the airport. My house is right under his flight plan, so I've just gotten used to this 400 pound bumblebee sound as he flies over almost every evening.

I've never witnessed it, but I understand over the years, he has crash landed in several neighbor's yards, nearby streets, and the rec center field near here. Somehow he keeps going up in them anyway.

I can't even imagine what would happen if lots of people had them!