If you’ve spent most of a lifetime reading predictions and plans for flying cars and still think of it as science fiction, you may not be ready for the next phase of the quest: Legislation to license and regulate “roadable aircraft.”
It’s a serious matter to several companies who are approaching production of vehicles, some of which have already been flight-tested; after all, if the FAA certifies a flying car, but you can’t drive it home from the airport, how will you sell them to the public?
One U.S. state is already ahead of the curve; New Hampshire has already passed a framework, with a law (dubbed the “Jetson Bill”) passed in 2020, setting up a simplified path to registration for road use.
Other states are also considering bills, using the New Hampshire law as a template, and a group of companies in the industry is providing advice and support in the process; the leader in the effort is Samson Sky, whose ‘switchblade’ car is in the picture above.
The Switchblade, which uses a hybrid electric system that uses regular gas rather than aviation fuel, had its first flight last November, flying for over six minutes at 500 feet above the airport. The company hopes to be able to sell its two-seater by next year.
