Hey, everyone, gather ’round. Listen up, because I have an announcement! An important announcement! Maybe you’ve heard how a gutsy Slovakian company hoping to build and sell a flying car, the Klein Vision AirCar, had a big press event late last month announcing and introducing their production prototype flying car, all at the Living Legends of Aviation Gala, which was attended by such aerospace luminaries as Buzz Aldrin, along with bigshots like John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, and Prince Harry. Maybe Weird Al was there too, it didn’t say.
In response to this announcement, a bunch of media outlets in the past week or so have breathlessly been crowing about the first “mass-produced flying car” that is “preparing to hit the market in 2026″ with an announced price of $800,000 to $1 million dollars. Some are saying it’s the “biggest flying car advancement in half a century,” and sure, at some point all of these things may prove to be true!
But, at this moment, all of these stories and headlines lead me to the announcement I alluded to earlier. As of this moment, I hereby declare that We All Need To Stop Saying Shit About Concept Flying Cars Until The Damn Things Are Actually Real.
This recent round of excited headlines and articles is really driving me batshit, especially the “mass produced” part. Because what the hell are they talking about? Mass produced? There’s what, one of these AirCar 2 prototypes that exist? That number isn’t even plural, by the most generous definitions of the word.
Saying this thing is “mass produced” at this point is pure, unfettered speculative fiction. Maybe they hope it’ll be mass produced, but look at these direct quotes from these articles:
“The world’s first mass-produced flying car is preparing to hit the market in 2026.”
“World’s first mass-produced flying car will go on sale within months – for $1 MILLION”
We have to dial it back, way, way back, when talking about flying cars, because we’ve all been burned too many times before. Remember the Terrafugia Transition or the Pal-V or the Aeromobil 2.5 or the Samson Switchblade or the Uber Taxi or any of those technically impressive flying cars that have appeared in the past decade or so and now are never heard about?
And when it comes to Klein’s claims of mass production that so many outlets have just happily repeated, come on. What do they even mean by mass production, anyway? Remember, they say these AirCar2s will cost between $800 grand and a million, so that alone probably will make these things something other than mass sellers, and that’s not even factoring in the need for flight training or anything like that.
What do homologation rules require to count as a production car? It looks like it’s 25,000 for Rally2 class, which I think is sorta unlikely, Group A rally cars need 2,500 street-legal ones to be built, but Group B is only, what, 200? Does that even count as mass production at that point?
Bugatti capped the similarly-priced Chiron production at 500 units. Does that make it a mass-produced car? Can Klein Vision make that many of these?
All I’m asking is that we, the media that seems to give a shit about flying cars, all agree to stop writing about these damn things until one of them is actually real, as in you can buy it and use it real, and a company is actually producing them in some manner of quantity real.
Will this thing go on sale in early 2026 and actually get built in real numbers? Maybe? I mean, I wouldn’t suggest anyone do any sort of breath holding, just based on the long, long history of flying cars. Remember the one that was a flying Pinto?
We sure do – our partners at Galpin Motors were part of that whole tragic story.
Yes, this Aircar 2 is impressive. It’s sleek and it mechanically can fold its wings away in a reasonably short amount of time and it looks like it drives fairly car-like and flies fairly plane-like and sure, there’s some specs on this thing, but until it’s actually a real thing, I consider all those specs speculative, and, again, I don’t even think we should be talking about any of these damn things because they’re perpetually two years away, and I’m sick of it.
Collectively, the automotive industry has wasted far too many pixels and far too much ink on these pipe dreams, and enough is enough. Put up or shut up, flying car companies. Once people (far richer than me people, but still) can actually buy, fly, and drive these, we can talk about them again.
Until then, nothing. Flying cars have used up all their benefit of the doubt.
I wish all the companies so much luck, and I’ll be delighted to write one of the first non-bullshit stories about a flying car. Until then!
What is the real business case for a flying car?
Let’s be honest, we’ve all daydreamed about flying over traffic jams, but even if you had a flying car stuck in traffic, you’re not taking off in stop-and-go traffic, even with VTOL (can’t just blast everyone right around you with jet/prop wash, there’s overhead hazards like powerlines, light poles, overpasses, etc).
Now consider you need both a driver’s license and a pilot’s license (because NO flying car is going to meet the fuel and weight limits of the ultralight class and still be a street legal car). You still need to take off and land at approved aviation facilities, and it’s realistically not going to fit in a standard garage (though you wouldn’t necessarily need a hanger for it).
In the end, you have a vehicle that requires a pilot’s license, is more expensive than a plane, and is compromised as a car. Are there really that many actual buyers for such a vehicle? I doubt it.
I see the kinds of “aerial ATVs” like the Jetson One and other drone-like toys being more feasible business cases, but even then, they’ll be playthings for the wealthy.
…realizes I’m reading another article about a flying car…
A Cessna 172 weights 1100 lbs dry. Slightly less than HALF of what my 1994 Miata weights. There will never be a flying car. Planes have been built that are camouflaged as cars, but they aren’t cars. And quite frankly, no one is asking for a flying car, because it’s a stupid idea in every way.
Don’t get me started on jet packs!!!
just too fundamentally different to combine both – roads require the ability to handle constant impact from the surface all the time and planes only roll along on the surface for a tiny fraction of their lives then live in impact-free air for basically all of their useful lives – so … I agree
What’s debatable is what constitutes “press”. Is taboola slop considered press? What about Outbrain? Just because it’s written in some form no longer makes it so. No one believes that flying car crap, the sites got their paid-by-the-word money and everyone moved on.
OK, so let’s say some super genius built something that flys and drives perfectly for the price of a Corolla and I am behind a desk at either NHTSC or the FAA. Do I approve it? Oh heck no. The amount of restructuring of rules it would take to make operation of these things even remotely safe would take decades and probably take more decades to get approvals from states and major cities. And just who will insure you to use this thing? I mean sure, if you pay a cool million for a flying car, there is a reasonable expectation that you won’t be sharing the air with a thousand other distracted operators, but I have already been passed by enough non turn signal using, temp spare running, 90+MPH Corollas to understand that flying is just not for the average person.
“New Rule: No More Reporting On Flying Cars Until You Can Actually Buy One”
Meh… that’s never going to happen. How about instead, no more reporting until one of them has an accident of sorts?
Because if a prototype of a flying car crashes, burns or maims their owner, I wanna read about it!!!
Replace flying with self driving and it works very nicely as well.
As an owner of an actual airplane, a 2009 206H Amphibian and a real car, 2022 Defender X. I can not see any benefit to a “Flying Car.” First off, yes you have to drive to an airport. There are fewer and fewer airports left in the USA, especially California. Then, you need to access the air side of the airport. This is access controlled. You need an NFC gate actuation pass for many of them. This requires you to get a TSA background check, submit photos and a lot of other fun stuff to get your magic gate access pass. This only works at ONE airport. You need to get one for each and every airport you would like to drive on and off from. Many, especially the ones with commercial operations require you to take actual written tests as well. Most states do not let you land on roads, Nevada does, but ONLY state highways and roads. Anything funded by the feds is restricted. Well in Nevada, it is most of them, at least ones you may want to consider to land on without cattle guards and telephone poles and signs. It is a really dumb idea; They are terrible cars and even worse airplanes. I cannot imagine what the insurance goes for. I have been flying for 50 years, was former Navy pilot and have around 6,000 hours. $5,560 per year for insurance, more if I do water operations. That is with a $600,000 hull value. For a flying abortion, triple that as a bare minimum (Also considering what kind of imbecile would consider it in the first place). It is a stupid idea that has persisted since the 30’s and never has panned out to anything but a circus sideshow clown transport.
Thank you for the wonderful info that Nevada allows landing on state roads. There’s presumably a reason eg remote cattle ranches blah blah but I think the mere fact is funny.
The rules on roads are all over the place. For example, we can land on any forest service road. It is in the CFR. Most Forest Service types don’t know this and get up on their hind legs and try to cause trouble. As a result, most of us carry a copy of the CFR in the glove box. One ranger got clever, he said that the airplane is clearly a motorized vehicle, the you need the OHV (off road vehicle, you know, like for a quad) sticker, which costs $25. So now you need to get one of those as well. Same goes for lakes and such. In some states, Colorado and Georgia. You cannot land on lakes, unless they are private.
More if you figure in malpractice insurance, but the demand is there now – take off from Texas, fly out over New Mexico or the Gulf of
MexicoAmerica, and you’re in the friendly and reproductively free skies.Have you ever flown to Mexico? It is now officially a pain in the a$$. You must log into the EAPIS system and tell them exactly what time you are to arrive. You cannot fly at night there. You need extra insurance, special coverage by a Mexican company, in addition to rest of the world coverage outside of the USA. You would also need to additionally get the special extra Mexican insurance for it as a car as well. Then there is really no driving it off the airport. Airports are controlled by the military. Good luck with getting them to agree. When you do land there are 5 stops you must make in different offices. That is in addition to the three military guys that meet you at the airplane. You also must pay a tax to land. Now since you are also a car, you would most likely need to post the $200 customs bond required if you go past KM22 into the country. You need to carry a folder of paper from office to office, each one needing to stamp your flight plan arrival. Finally, you last stop after all these folks rummage through your papers is with Air Traffic Control, closing your flight plan. Leaving is the reverse. Oh, good luck getting your $200 customs bond back without going by the tax & excise station at KM22 to ensure you are leaving the country with your car. I both fly and drive down there frequently, kind of a 2 hour exercise each time with the checkpoints and the actually very pleasant people in each office. Just hope they are all there when you arrive and not at “Lunch.” You have to do it in sequence. The fun has just begun, wait till you go through the “I dine on lemons” customs folks at the US airports of entry. I have to just roll my eyes as the customs dude goes around your airplane for 20 minutes with a geiger counter. I suppose to check it for Nukes?? Then the dogs…
Uh, did you miss the part where Comme çi, come alt said “New Mexico.” You do know that is a US state, right? Also, there are 5 US states that have shorelines on the Gulf of Mexico.
How did I miss that. There is really no way I should have confused New Mexico with Mexico. Mexico has far friendlier people and way better food. I just store my airplanes in the off season in Gallup, since it is really cheap and New Mexico has no vicious airplane tax. Then again, Gallup has the doughnut deli, surprisingly good. Now I could have been confused as New Mexico lacking an actual shoreline, being I think the term is: “Land Locked.” Did part of Texas sink, giving New Mexico a Gulf of Whatever shoreline someplace near Las Cruces? I am trying very hard to not read any news, not a pretty time in the press. I may have missed that.
Well, the OP did say fly out over New Mexico or the Gulf of Mexico. Just have to head SE instead of west.
Where I live in the South Bay atea California and we seem to be swimming in airports. The city 12 miles east of me has one, 17 miles to the west has one, 20 miles to the north has one. In total, there are 18 airports within 100 miles of my house.
Been to SoCal lately, there are virtually none left. I end up going into Oceanside and it will be closed with houses built on it within the next two years. Costs $150 a night at Orange County to park on the public ramp. All the airports in SoCal are now high density housing developments. The Navy paid for me to get civi flight training at Santa Monica while I was at UCLA. That airport will be gone soon as well. Most of the Valley airports are now gone. There were 22 airports in the LA basin in the 50’s there are something like 6 now. Not that you really want to fly in the LA class B airspace anymore. You also need some services at the airport, not just a strip of grass. Rental cars are cool or even one of the ride shares. If you are forced to go to lets say, Hemet, what have you gained, may as well drive then. Forcing your friends to come get you in the inland empire is kind of a cruel punishment.
Well put.
Autopian’s cousin site Defector had a great parallel post how claims about bringing back Dire Wolves by the sketchy biotech company Collosal Biosciences were also pure a steaming pile of BS.
https://defector.com/colossal-biosciences-cant-have-it-both-ways
Defector’s writer Sabrina Imbler described the cynical PR game Collosal plays. First they issue press releases saying ridiculously overhyped claims about bringing back extinct species.
The claims get huge press, and when experts start objecting in specialist publications, Collosal trots out their in-house expert to concede to a limited audience that they haven’t brought back anything. They’ve just done a bit of gene editing to existing species.
The problems with flying cars and reviving extinct prehistoric species are incredibly easy for journalists to find. And the audience interest in another dumb booster article is low. In reality, people like exposes of rich hacks more than tongue baths of rich people.
But modern press owners would rather see even more audience declines than rethink their gullibility.
And while we’re at it, same rule for Robotaxi, Tesla Semi, Tesla Roadster