DRIVERS could soon be unbound by worldly problems such as traffic jams and road closures – and may be able to fly right over them.
The Federal Aviation Administration has greenlit eight different projects testing new flying car technology across the nation.
The FAA announced the next step of a pilot program focused on the testing and eventual commercialization of what are essentially flying cars.
However, they’re formally known as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles.
Eight different projects across 26 states have been greenlit, each seeing the FAA cooperate with aircraft manufacturers, operators, and state partners in the collaborative testing process.
Officials say that the testing could bring the “flying cars” to American skies for consumer use in as little as five years’ time.
“There will be a time, probably within the next five years, where you’ll be able to essentially order [an eVTOL] like an Uber,” said FAA administrator Bryan Bedford to Arkansas ABC affiliate KHBS.
Bedford elaborated that the goal is not only for these products to feel like stepping into a commercial airline, but also to be as safe as one.
“The certification process will be rigorous, and we are doing that through significant flight testing and evaluation,” Bedford said.
“Second thing we are doing is to integrate them into the airspace safely with all the other commercial traffic that exists, and the principal reason we have to modernize,” he continued.
Bedford also stressed that the FAA is ensuring enough charging infrastructure for these battery-operated vehicles exist before they go live with widespread use.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/motors/16093659/faa-testing-flying-cars-america/