Orlando is preparing for flying cars

[joelkfla]

"The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority on Wednesday took steps toward that future by seeking partners to develop and operate a flying car landing pad — called a vertiport — at the airport."

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/202...e-as-soon-as-2028/?share=liseoewnomietoetrs0i

 

[MARC Rider]

Please, please, let's nip this "flying car" thing in the bud. People can't even drive very well in 2 dimensions, how can we expect them to drive well in 3 dimensions with the added problems of atmospheric turbulence? If they really want to prepare for flying cars, they should be expanding shock trauma units and hiring more paramedics. the other thing they need to do us expand air traffic control and make sure all the dolts in flying cars have to spend enough time circling around the vertiports before landing that ant time benefit they have over regular cars in eliminated.

 

[Caesar La Rock]

To the people who don't live in Orlando. If you wonder why transit in this city is underfunded and why highways are laid out so poorly, it goes back to poor decisions by FDOT as I've mentioned before. It also because of dumb ideas proposed from the city too. It's not FDOT 100%, Orlando itself has to be blamed for bad ideas.

I've lost count on the many times I've almost died, because of reckless drivers on the road in the last 15 years. Could you imagine the calamity of flying cars, falling hundreds of feet out of the sky? I hope this idea gets tossed and never revisited again.

 

[flitcraft]

I suspect that flying cars will remain a Jetsons fantasy for the foreseeable future, and I am fine with that. Cartoonland doesn't need to worry about things like, what manufacturer will supply them? what about air crashes? will any insurance company insure said flying cars, etc. Even if this somehow gets off the ground (pun intended), the first disaster will likely be the last.

 

[GariYaMoshi]

After the DCA accident, this should be the last thing that people should be contemplating. Flying cars in the path of arriving and departing aircraft - what could go wrong?

 

[BlackDiamond]

From looking at the various links, this sounds like less than a Jetsons style situation with random drivers of flying cars than a provision for what is being called Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) which are vertical takeoff and landing craft that could be used as air taxis. Operators would need to be licensed under the FAA just as pilots are today.

FAA link

Note this paragraph on the certification of pilots. Looks like you would need a private pilots license at least:

A pilot flying an aircraft in the powered-lift category must hold one of the following certificates: Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and type rating for powered-lift category; Commercial Pilot for powered-lift category; Private Pilot for powered-lift category. Additional certificates and ratings include: Instrument Rating – powered-lift; Flight Instructor for powered-lift category; and Flight Instructor Instrument for powered-lift category.

Basically I see this as something mostly used by the well to do that can afford to pay for these air taxis that will be fairly costly to run given that the "taxi driver" will need to be a commercial pilot.

 

[alanh]

The design is slightly different than a helicopter, but operationally I don't see it being any different.

 

[caravanman]

Flying cars? Wuppertal in Germany already has flying trains!

 

[jis]

Flying cars? Wuppertal in Germany already has flying trains!

It also has the advantage of already being upside down by design.

 

[alpha3]

Please, please, let's nip this "flying car" thing in the bud. People can't even drive very well in 2 dimensions, how can we expect them to drive well in 3 dimensions with the added problems of atmospheric turbulence? If they really want to prepare for flying cars, they should be expanding shock trauma units and hiring more paramedics. the other thing they need to do us expand air traffic control and make sure all the dolts in flying cars have to spend enough time circling around the vertiports before landing that ant time benefit they have over regular cars in eliminated.

Heh. Well said MarcRider. But lets set aside atmospheric turbulence for the moment. I see something quite different happening; or really things just continuing as it they are now, only in the air.
Having been raised in Miami and seen the increase road rage incidents, along with quite spectacular vehicular accidents there over the years, I'd be prepared for spectacular midair collisions, whether other flying cars or aircraft. Maybe even a new dimension in road rage occurrences, , now labeled sky rage! Some person with anger management issues uses an uzi or AK whatever on another flying car and shoots it down. Where does it come down-on a house? A shopping center? There's plenty of machine-gun toting citizens in south Florida, and lots of anger and impatience.

 

[Literalman]

Orlando is just six decades or so behind in its thinking. In 1962, the planning director of Arlington, Va., considered rapid transit unsuitable for the Washington, DC, area, and thought that helicopters would be more practical, according to Zachary Schrag in The Great Society Subway (Johns Hopkins U. Press, 2004).

 

[jis]

Don’t get too excited. Like most grand transportation plans of Orlando nothing will come of this one either. Even if they manage to budget some money for it, all will disappear into someone’s pocket and project will vanish after three years like a South Sea bubble.

 

[Alice]

There is an Alef Flying Car attracting a lot of attention at the Silicon Valley Auto Show this weekend. All electric, $300,000, 3000 pre-orders (only $150 for basic queue!), plans to start production 2025 Q4 or 2006 Q1.

https://abc7news.com/post/2025-sili...ying-car-draws-attention-heres-look/15943585/

https://alef.aero/

 

[Asher]

Lots of wahackadodle ideas flying around these days.

 

[MARC Rider]

Orlando is just six decades or so behind in its thinking. In 1962, the planning director of Arlington, Va., considered rapid transit unsuitable for the Washington, DC, area, and thought that helicopters would be more practical, according to Zachary Schrag in The Great Society Subway (Johns Hopkins U. Press, 2004).

Obviously, this guy never actually flew any helicopters. I read on the web how they're harder to fly than fixed wing airplanes and overall are more dangerous. Maybe less so than driving, but that might be because at the current time training and licensing of helicopter pilots is more rigorous than training and licensing automobile drivers.

https://executiveflyers.com/why-are-helicopters-so-dangerous/

 

[AUAdmin]

A minor car accident, such as a fender bender, can be extremely dangerous. That would be my main concern.

 

[Stevenz]

Obviously, this guy never actually flew any helicopters. I read on the web how they're harder to fly than fixed wing airplanes and overall are more dangerous. Maybe less so than driving, but that might be because at the current time training and licensing of helicopter pilots is more rigorous than training and licensing automobile drivers.

https://executiveflyers.com/why-are-helicopters-so-dangerous/

They are more difficult to fly and require much more training. And helicopters have a higher accident rate than fixed wing airplanes. And they are a lot more expensive to operate. Insurance alone could be a killer.

As for the Alef thing, if it isn’t FAA certified it isn’t going into production this year, Silicon Valley buzz or not.

 

[BlackDiamond]

They are more difficult to fly and require much more training. And helicopters have a higher accident rate than fixed wing airplanes. And they are a lot more expensive to operate. Insurance alone could be a killer.

As for the Alef thing, if it isn’t FAA certified it isn’t going into production this year, Silicon Valley buzz or not.

One difference between fixed wing aircraft and helicopters is that when a fixed wing aircraft has engine failure it turns into a glider and you have an opportunity to find a place to land as generally they will glide a fair distance if handled correctly. Helicopters on the other hand essentially turn into a rock once the engine fails and fall out of the sky. There might be a little autorotational descent if the rotors can be kept turning that might slow the crash a bit.

 

[bonzoesc]

I could see it being used for a drone taxi service like https://wisk.aero/ ? It’d be out of my budget for a connection from Brightline to Disney World or Melbourne but I could see it solving problems for really rich guys.

 

[MARC Rider]

I could see it being used for a drone taxi service like https://wisk.aero/ ? It’d be out of my budget for a connection from Brightline to Disney World or Melbourne but I could see it solving problems for really rich guys.

Why should we clutter up our valuable airspace to cater to the whims of rich guys? They can sit in traffic like the rest of us!

 

[cirdan]

Obviously, this guy never actually flew any helicopters. I read on the web how they're harder to fly than fixed wing airplanes and overall are more dangerous. Maybe less so than driving, but that might be because at the current time training and licensing of helicopter pilots is more rigorous than training and licensing automobile drivers.

https://executiveflyers.com/why-are-helicopters-so-dangerous/

On the other hand we have got pretty used to drones, both of the remote controlled kind and of the autonomous kind. Would it not be possible to scale up that technology and make it big enough to carry a human. You just program the destination, take your hands off the controls, and let the drone take you there. The programming could then ensure you only followed pre-approved trajectories to pre-approve destinations and don't use the drone to crash into stuff or enter delicate areas.

 

[Brian Battuello]

I get a news summary from Aviation Week, and it had this tidbit about the Alef:

"A U.S. startup is aiming to begin production of its Model A flying car by early 2026 and is targeting initial deliveries to countries that have higher weight limits for ultralight aircraft than the FAA in the U.S."