‘Flying Cars’ Will Take Off in American Skies This Summer
New types of The planes, a sort of “flying car” capable of taking off and landing with little space like helicopters but functioning like airplanes, will begin operating in American airspace from June, the American Department of Transportation announced on Monday.
Eight regions of the United States, including New York and New Jersey, Texas, Florida and Albuquerque, New Mexico, will participate in a three-year pilot program that will see new aircraft models transport people and cargo across the country even before they officially receive full certifications from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Companies developing this technology say their planes are quieter, cheaper and emit fewer emissions than helicopters or planes. Some promise completely autonomous travel. Many involved in the project, including electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, and ultra-short takeoff aircraft, require much less space to operate, land and take off outside of traditional airports and closer to where people live and work. The companies describe a future in which ordinary people will be able to move between neighboring cities in minutes, navigating above traffic and reorganizing the economy as they go.
In a conference call with investors earlier this month, Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer Aviation, one of the companies involved, called the federal pilot program “our Waymo moment,” a science fiction project come true. “Now the goal is for half a million people in the country’s biggest cities to start seeing these planes as part of their daily commute, just like they started seeing Waymos every day,” he said.
Archer’s electric air taxi, called Midnight, is designed to carry up to four passengers on journeys of 60 to 90 minutes. The company will participate in pilot projects in Texas, Florida and New York. Goldstein told investors that Midnight would take another significant step toward certification “over the next few quarters.” The company has received funding from automaker Stellantis and United Airlines.
Other companies involved in the pilots include small electric plane maker Beta Technologies, Toyota and Jet Blue-funded air taxi maker Joby Aviation, and Electra, which is building an ultra-short-distance electric hybrid plane. These four companies have conducted test flights in the United States.
“What we love about the pilot is the opportunity to demonstrate that this is not a fantasy,” Electra CEO Marc Allen told WIRED. “It’s not science fiction. It’s in the real world.”
