The Unveiling of Flying Cars: Are you ready for them?

Is it a car?  Is it a plane?  It’s a FLYING car!

If you haven’t come across recent news about flying cars, you soon will.  The news is trending because a company called AeroMobile has recently unveiled a flying car in Monaco.  You can check out the pictures here.

Shortly after AeroMobile’s unveiling, another company called Kitty Hawk also debuted a flying aircraft called The Flyer.  The company is partially backed by Google co-founder, Larry Page.  The Flyer is an aircraft that you can fly on over open water, and it is expected to go on on sale later in the year.

What Do I Think About Flying Cars?

I love the idea of a flying car.  Imagine if you can zip across states with a quick flight?  How convenient is that?  How can anyone also not admire how far technological advances have come?

In reality, I am not if the world is ready for them yet.  To be clear, I don’t expect flying cars to hit the mainstream market any time soon.  There are regulatory hurdles and legitimate safely questions that needs to be addressed.

You do not need a pilot’s license to operate The Flyer, though it’s not clear if it’s the same for AeroMobile’s Flying Car.  Frankly, I think the categorization of both vehicles as “flying cars” feels like a misnomer.  AeroMobile’s flying car seemed more like a plane…with wheels.  The Flyer simply struck me as a recreational or sports aircraft to be ridden near water.

Which of the Two Would I Prefer?

Neither. I  still prefer a regular car on the road and a regular plane for up in the air.

If I have to pick one, I like AeroMobile’s version better.  It looks more developed, though it looked rather clumsy as a car.  The Flyer didn’t strike me as very safe and reminded me of a drone.  Flying one looks cool but it takes practice and skills to not crash it.

I think that flying cars might take off sooner in the marketplace if they are autonomous.  In the same way that Google and Uber are testing autonomous cars,  a autonomous flying car might reduce some of the safety and operator risks and may gain faster acceptance as a result.

All that said, it’s not likely that anyone will see these vehicles in action anytime soon.  After all, AeroMobile’s version of the flying car cost a cool $1.3 to 1.6 million dollars USD.

What do you think about flying cars?  Do you think they make sense?  Would you even feel comfortable driving (or flying) one?
Source: Travel Gadget Reviews