Flying Cars Buying Guide for 2024

The excitement of “flying down the highway” is fast becoming a reality. Once only seen in science fiction movies and comic strips, flying cars are now in the works to becoming a reality. 

This article as about what flying cars are available, what prototypes are in the works. The article will explore the prices and the problems for regulating flying cars and regulating their safety and things you need to know if you’re interested in buying one.

Note: This article includes Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) vehicles as flying cars.

Flying Car or VTOL What You Need to Know Before Buying

Owning and operating a flying car is not as simple as getting one from a dealership and driving/flying it home. There are some considerations you should be aware of, and that’s exactly what this article will lay out for you along with what’s available or soon-to-be available on the market today.

Certifications, Licenses and Other Restrictions  

There are some regulations already in place depending on the kind of flying car you buy. First and foremost, you will need a pilot’s license to operate such a vehicle. Exactly what license you need will depend on the car’s design and operating system.

For example, if you want to fly a car such as the PAL-V, which uses a propeller, you will need a helicopter pilot certification. Hover cars are a different story. There’s no clear indication yet as to what type of license you might need.

There are some other restrictions when it comes to flying cars. As it currently stands, when flying cars do become a viable means of transportation, the world won’t look anything like in the Jetsons. The FAA has pushed for flying cars to be treated just like any other aircraft.

This means that you will need an authorization for takeoff and your route plans. It’s possible that you’ll only be allowed to fly to and from airports. This makes sense at least for airplane-like flying cars as they require a stretch of runway.

Costs

The good news is that flying cars don’t run on jet fuel, so you will have cheaper fuel alternatives for them.

The price of a flying car in the near future will very expensive, only wealthy CEO’s will be able to afford. But some models you’ll see described below will be more like taxies, available or public use.

It’s understandable as new technology is always expensive when it first comes out. As far as flying cars are concerned, this is even truer due to the massive amounts of money invested so far with no returns.

Other costs will include flying instruction to get your license and the cost of permits for landing as well as ownership and insurance that will add up to a lot more compared to owning an expensive car. But again, the time saved in commuting along with the freedom to by-pass bumper-to-bumper traffic will make it worth it for some folks.

Parking

Parking will not be a problem for most types of flying cars. The wings, and propellars will fold up and the flying car is good to go. The exception to this would be the Volocopter. It will need additional means of moving into a large garage or hanger.

Elevation

Flying these vehicles will be limited to low altitudes. For example, the PAL-V can reach an altitude of 4,000 ft. That’s high enough to clear towers and high-tension wires while still enjoying the scenery below and low enough not to interfere with normal air traffic.

Practicality

The flying vehicles available at this time are small. Some can handle two passengers. Others can hold one person and a small bag. This first generation of flying cars are more for taking a commuter to work then a family for an excursion.

Some are designed to land on rooftops while others can foldup their wings and join the rest of the traffic to the nearest parking lot.

The Flying Car Selection

The following selection of flying cars and VTOL’s are on the market or will be soon. 

More will be added as they become available or have created a website presence.

A New Flying Car That Will Change the Way People Travel – The Lilium Jet

Introducing the Flying Car That Could Work as a Taxi

There is a company called Lilium that is coming close to making flying cars a viable transportation option. This new flying car is going to possibly be the first vehicle on the market that showcases how this type of transportation can be viable for people. The idea behind it is to create a safe and affordable transportation service that everyone can use. A lot of the appeal, aside from how fun it is to be inside of this type of vehicle, is that it can get you places much faster than a typical car would be able to.

Being able to travel a decent distance away in a very short amount of time is certainly appealing. This company wants to make these cars into a sort of air taxi service so that many people will be able to take advantage of them. Selling cars such as this to private owners may indeed be something that happens but the company understands that not everyone is going to be able to afford to purchase one right away. Consumers being able to see how useful this type of transportation can be through the taxi-style service will show how great of an option it is.

Changing the Way People Travel

There may come a time when traditional travel methods begin to feel antiquated. With this new flying car, people will be able to travel longer distances without it feeling as if it is such a big deal. If this technology really takes off, then it is going to completely change the way that people travel. Currently, people make use of commercial flights sparingly and they are usually reserved for big vacations or business trips.

Flying on a commercial airliner isn’t prohibitively expensive for most people but it isn’t something that they could afford to do all of the time. Something more along the lines of a taxi service would be something that people could make use of several times a week or even daily, depending on someone’s situation. Technology such as this could really open up the world in ways that people haven’t even fathomed yet. The ability to travel farther distances more quickly creates a lot of possibilities.

Consider the idea of commuting to work. Many people don’t live in the cities where they work so they have to commute to their jobs on a daily basis. If they were able to take advantage of using a flying car to get to their place of employment, then they would be able to cut down their commuting time significantly. Furthermore, it could also open up the option to commute to a job that is further away from their home than they would normally consider. This could completely change the way people look for employment and whether certain companies would consider someone for employment if he or she didn’t live somewhat close by.

If people can close vast distances in a span of an hour or so using these flying cars, then just about anything is possible in regards to commuting. It might not be the absolute most convenient thing in the world at this moment in time but it is possible that this could be a reality in the future. This new flying car is going to change the world if it continues down the path it is treading. It will be very intriguing to see how things develop from this point forward.

Watch and Anticipate

Keep your eyes peeled for more information on this new flying car. It will definitely be interesting to see how everything plays out. If this company is able to deliver on their promises, then the future is going to look mighty interesting. One of the most exciting prospects of all of this is that the future isn’t so far off.

When most people talk about this sort of cutting-edge technology, they think about things that are decades away from happening. This sort of flying taxi service idea is supposed to be happening within the next several years. The first manned flight of this vehicle is planned for 2019 and the expected date when you can purchase this would be 2025. As of now, there isn’t any specific information about the price in USD but the aim is to make this a convenient taxi service for everyone.

The future is coming at you very quickly so anticipate it and don’t be afraid to let yourself get a little excited about the possibilities. Being able to look forward to amazing technological developments such as this is something that will get you pumped up for what it could mean for your life. Cutting down an hour commute to fifteen minutes worth of travel time is possible. The travel world is on the precipice of change and you should be ready to embrace it.