© pal-v.comThe PAL-V ONE
The Dutch company PAL-V has successfully built and tested the prototype for a flying car, the PAL-V ONE (Personal Air and Land Vehicle).
Tecca's Mariella Moon describes the gyrocopter PAL-V ONE as "most of a flying three-wheeled enclosed motorcycle." If it becomes commercially available - Geekosystem reports the vehicle is "slated to go into production in 2014" - drivers will fly below an altitude of 4,000 feet in uncontrolled airspace, nowhere near the commercial jets flying above at 30,000-plus feet.
"The PAL-V ONE has a very short take off and landing capability, making it possible to land practically anywhere. When not using controlled airspace, you can take off without filing a flight plan," states the official site.
If you have a driver's license, you can drive the PAL-V ONE. But to take it into the air, you'll need a Sport Pilot's certificate.
"You can drive like a car with your normal car, then you can fly like a plane but in one vehicle." PAL-V CEO Robert Dingemanse says. "So if you want to fly over a mountain you can do that and then drive at the other end and go to your destination or fly over water or past a traffic jam, of course. All those kind of things are possible now."
Watch the test drive - and test flight - in the video below.
Overcrowded cities like İstanbul would benefit very much from this type of flying car.