Lilium’s Funky ‘Jet’ Could Make Flying Car Dreams a Reality

[rangerrebew]

Lilium’s Funky ‘Jet’ Could Make Flying Car Dreams a Reality

The Lilium personal jet is the latest entry in a growing field of what are essentially flying cars. The electric vehicle could soon be ferrying passengers using distributed propulsion.


https://www.wired.com/category/transportation/

[Joe Wooten]

Do we really want the morons who make the morning commutes hell by driving in oblivion to traffic flying like they drive?

[Cripplecreek]

Do we really want the morons who make the morning commutes hell by driving in oblivion to traffic flying like they drive?

The flying car for the common man is a fantasy.

For it to happen they would have to be almost entirely automated, following strict flight paths, and very expensive.

[driftdiver]

The flying car for the common man is a fantasy.

For it to happen they would have to be almost entirely automated, following strict flight paths, and very expensive.

Why not just buy a helicopter?   I know of a guy at church who has one.   He flies it to church and lands in the soccer field. 

[Cripplecreek]

Why not just buy a helicopter?   I know of a guy at church who has one.   He flies it to church and lands in the soccer field.

"A guy" is a whole lot different than everybody having one.

[driftdiver]

"A guy" is a whole lot different than everybody having one.

Not really, it just means he put in the effort to learn how.  If someone can learn how and pass the tests to get licensed then I'm ok with them flying it around.   

The whackjob who cut me off this morning driving to work?  Not so much.   but then he's probably too lazy to learn how to fly.

My point is that cost isnt a concern.  If folks want to do this they already can if they are willing to spend the money.   

[Wingnut]

Do we really want the morons who make the morning commutes hell by driving in oblivion to traffic flying like they drive?

Meet George Jetson:

ANN ARBOR—Despite considerable concerns about the safety of flying cars, two-thirds of Americans say they would like to ride in or operate their own airborne vehicle.

A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute shows that 41 percent of adult respondents to an online survey are "very interested" in riding in a fully autonomous (self-driving and self-flying) flying car. That compares to 26 percent of those who are "very interested" in operating the aerocar themselves after obtaining an appropriate pilot license.

http://ns.umich.edu/new/releases/24766-meet-george-jetson-most-americans-favor-flying-cars

[r9etb]

Not really, it just means he put in the effort to learn how.  If someone can learn how and pass the tests to get licensed then I'm ok with them flying it around.   

I think the point was that "a guy" landing his helicopter on the soccer field is a lot different from 100 people all trying to land there in time for the service to start.

[Cripplecreek]

I think the point was that "a guy" landing his helicopter on the soccer field is a lot different from 100 people all trying to land there in time for the service to start.

Working at MIS during a race some years ago I had a talk with one of the guys doing air traffic control. He was showing me how they had the choppers stacked and circling in a cone shape with the tip of the cone at the ground. There was also a conical no fly zone for "civilian" aircraft around the track.

They would spiral in at a steep angle, offload then depart at a low angle on a particular heading before adjusting their heading to the airports they had chosen (mostly Jackson Mi)

[r9etb]

Working at MIS during a race some years ago I had a talk with one of the guys doing air traffic control. He was showing me how they had the choppers stacked and circling in a cone shape with the tip of the cone at the ground. There was also a conical no fly zone for "civilian" aircraft around the track.

They would spiral in at a steep angle, offload then depart at a low angle on a particular heading before adjusting their heading to the airports they had chosen (mostly Jackson Mi)

Not the sort of choreography I'd want to entrust to the sorts of idiots I see on my way to work.

And then add in a goodly crosswind...

[Cripplecreek]

Not the sort of choreography I'd want to entrust to the sorts of idiots I see on my way to work.

And then add in a goodly crosswind...

The races bring a lot of helicopter traffic. Driver's crew members and owners etc fly into Jackson on private jets and the choppers taxi them the last 15 miles or so to the track.

[Free Vulcan]

It'll be like the 5th element - cars flying past your skyscraper penthouse.

[rangerrebew]

Having a pilot's license and having flown in some congested airports, I can tell you it is nerve wracking enough when you aren't sure where other traffic is.  There are strict procedures, it is true, but many of the drivers on the ground don't yet have that figured out.  I can just see some of them texting while flying.

[Joe Wooten]

Having a pilot's license and having flown in some congested airports, I can tell you it is nerve wracking enough when you aren't sure where other traffic is.  There are strict procedures, it is true, but many of the drivers on the ground don't yet have that figured out.  I can just see some of them texting while flying.

The Darwin Awards would be saturated........