Flying Car a Reality, Not a Practicality

Ever since the Jetsons hit the airwaves, people have dreamed of flying cars as daily transportation. In real life, though, there’s never been anything that came close to that experience — until now. The Transition, built by Terrafugia in Massachusetts, took off today during the company’s official launch of the $194,000 “roadable aircraft.”

That basically means this is a small plane that can also travel on public roads at “highway speeds” and get 30 mpg on standard unleaded gas. Its range in the air is 460 miles. It’s useful load, however, is just 430 pounds, meaning passengers mustn’t be too overweight and they’ll need to pack light.  

You’ll still need a pilot’s license to fly one … and $194,000 to own one. While it’s a neat idea, dropping off Elroy, Judy and Jane on the way to work in a flying car is still a long way off.