A few years ago, self-driving cars sounded like science fiction, before taking to streets across the nation. Now, flying cars are poised to follow, with companies teasing affordable mass-market options nearing release.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it’s closely following developments as the technology of cartoons and comic books nears reality, urging the industry to help regulators make rules.
“The FAA has anticipated these vehicles for some time and is working with industry to help them develop their ideas,” FAA spokesman Les Dorr told the Washington Examiner.
For some flying car models, current FAA regulations give broad leeway, as the vehicles fall under extremely lenient rules for ultralight aircraft.
Ultralight owners don’t need a pilot’s license or to register aircraft under 254 pounds, excluding safety features. Ultralight vehicles previously on the market include motorized parachutes and gyrocopters that look like mini-helicopters.
Regulations prohibit flying ultralight vehicles during nighttime and over congested areas. Pilots must consent to inspection if authorities request, though no airworthiness certificate is needed.
The FAA acknowledges the challenge of updating its rules.
“We have certification and operational rules in place to cover some concepts” of flying car, Dorr said. “Others will require more effort, but the key is we don’t want industry to wait for FAA rule-making — come to us now, so that when we are ready to make rules we’ll be better informed.”
The FAA’s open-door invitation comes as a slick promotional video from the company Opener circulates online, showing the all-electric BlackFly vehicle zoom past lush landscapes and land on a beach.
Opener calls BlackFly “a flying vehicle that is safe, affordable, and requires no special permits to operate in the USA.” Its cruising speed is capped at 62 miles per hour in the U.S., with a range of 25 miles. Speed and distance ranges are slightly higher for vehicles sold outside the U.S.
BlackFlys are not yet for sale, though the company is already selling promotional hats and t-shirts.
Regulations may be shaped by novel issues raised by self-driving cars, such as crossing airspace over private property.
“There are also social and privacy issues that must be addressed, such as public acceptance of autonomous vehicles flying overhead,” Dorr said.
The race to manufacture flying cars is intense.
Google co-founder Larry Page plays a leading role, funding both Opener and a separate company called Kitty Hawk, which has sleek promo videos for a forthcoming taxi-style vehicle called Cora — envisioned to work like an airline — and the Flyer, a small aircraft that lands on water and is available on preorder (early models will reach only 10 feet in altitude and travel 20 mph).
Uber, meanwhile, has a prototype for a larger vehicle that would fly at 1,000 to 2,000 feet. The startup Joby Aviation reportedly has raised $100 million, including from Toyota and JetBlue, for flying vehicles.
And the U.S.-based, Chinese-owned firm Terrafugia has its own “mass-market flying car,” the two-seat Transition, which it intends to release next year for about $400,000. It resembles a traditional airplane with folding wings and can fly up to 400 miles at 100 mph. Because of its weight and two-person capacity, a pilot’s license will be required.
There are many other players abroad, including the European aviation giant Airbus, which conducted its first successful test of an air taxi this year.
The concept of flying cars was explored at a July hearing of the House Science Committee. Members seemed unfazed by the idea, focusing on practical issues, such as air-traffic control and hacking.
Hank Perritt, a law professor at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, said a light regulatory touch — especially for ultralight models — is unlikely to last if flying cars actually hit the mass market.
“It will be very similar to what happened with drones,” he said. “The FAA surely will promulgate specialized regulations when there is enough of a market for there to be pressure for it to do so.”
