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Where Are the Flying Cars?
Ponca City, We Love You writes "Complaints of the non-existence of flying cars as expressions of disappointment in the failure of the present to measure up to the glory of past predictions have long been a staple of popular culture but all that is about to change when Terrafugia introduces their $148,000 "Transition," a 19-foot, two-seater that the company describes as a roadable light-sport aircraft. The problem is that the U.S. doesn't have the infrastructure in place to make landing in front of your house a viable alternative yet and a sky filled with people who don't have pilot's licenses could also be a problem. The idea is to take advantage of the 6,000 public airports in the U.S. so a pilot can fly into a small airport (video) and instead of getting a rental car, just fold up the wings on the aircraft and drive away. Terrafugia expects the first production model to be ready in 2009 and says they've already received advanced orders for 30 to 50 Transitions."
Well, if anything, it's a great promotion for Benjamin Schweighart's business.
Worry not, the investigative team at the Onion News Network is all over this issue of the blatant lack of flying cars, and are demanding answers from the big auto manufacturers.
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/mean_automakers_dash_nations_hope
FSM, grant me the serenity to preview that which I cannot change...
> But look at all the block the Bush Administration has put on various technologies around cloning.
> I'm not for cloning entire people, but cloning body parts - which reduces the rate of rejection to
> practically nil - is a wonderful idea. I needed a bone graft once and it didn't take from some other
> donor. It would've been nice if that could've been cloned from me.
Amen, brother! Just like you, when I read the question "Where are the Flying Cars", the first thing that popped into my mind was "It's that stupid Bush and his refusal to clone body parts!". Great minds think alike, huh?
Yeah, exactly. A flying car isn't the same as a driving airplane. This is just an airplane that can drive. A flying car will be able to take off and land in my driveway. It will be able to sit there stalled in traffic 10 feet above the air. Don't tell me this stuff is impossible, don't tell me I can't drive it because there's 'no infrastructure,' I saw this stuff in Fifth Element, and when I say flying car, that's what I mean. None of this, 'drive home from the airport' jazz.
Qxe4
Here is an interview asking the same question.
I would assume that the iCar would eventually get hacked to overcome these limits. But to have flying bricks come crashing down out of the sky probably wouldn't be a good idea. :)
I don't know about you but I'm investing in automated AA sentry guns.
May contain traces of nut.
Made from the freshest electrons.
tornado season, there are lots of them ;)
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
But where are the flying cars? I was promised flying cars. I don't see any flying cars. Why? Why? Why. Because billions of people all over the world can work together on the Web 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You don't need flying cars, but you will need a different kind of software.
It's a different kind of world; you need a different kind of software.
Rob
For a different tradeoff, roller blades and skateboards make fun, rapid, highly portable transportation that requires little cost and maintenance, but does require paved surfaces. Cycling is also good in this respect, though a bike isn't as easy to carry around and usually requires secure lockup facilities. Hitching lifts has gone out of style, but it is still something easy to arrange with friends and coworkers. Even frequent taxi usage can cost far less than car hire or ownership. Swimming is great exercise and large goods such as a king size bed can be floated on pontoons for easy shipping. Rappelling is a cheap and affordable method of descending cliffs. Hang gliding also works, as does transcendental levitation. Lastly, you could get a Segway but you're not quite that desperate to look like a fool.