For KMEM

[seaboy4hire]

usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-07-03-flying-car_N.htm

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Guest greatness]

Isn't that amazing?

 

It amazes me how innovative people can be.. We will survive the crisis~~~

 

usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-07-03-flying-car_N.htm

 

Hugs,

Greg

[Boston Guy]

The Terrafugia has been in development for quite a while. As one might imagine, it's come up fairly often on forums that are dedicated to pilots.

 

Most of the pilots that I know seem to feel that it's likely to make a reasonably poor plane and a reasonably poor car. For $200K, you could have a better car and a better plane and maybe have some money left over to fund your flying. But it might find market segments that find it appealing.

 

One major drawback that I haven't seen any solution for so far is the issue of fender-bender type damage. The FARs (Federal Aviation Regulations) are quite specific about what needs to be done when various kinds of damage occurs to an airplane. As a plane, the Terrafugia is going to be subject to many of those regulations and what might be a very small accident for a car could turn out to be a major deal for a plane that is involved in a traffic accident. It doesn't take much damage at all on an airplane to find yourself in a situation that requires thousands of dollars of repairs (or more) before the plane can be legally flown again.

 

I enjoy watching the fruits of inspiration and innovation and the Terrafugia certainly seems to fill that old dream of having a flying car. But as a pilot I can't help but question if it will be practical enough to succeed as anything other than a historical novelty.

[+ g56whiz]

I can just picture the arguments over parking places in New York City. :)

[Boston Guy]

I can just picture the arguments over parking places in New York City. :)

 

That's funny.

 

[KMEM]

usatoday.com/money/autos/2010-07-03-flying-car_N.htm

 

Hugs,

Greg

 

Thanks for the link. As BG says it does have a lot of hurdles to get by before it becomes even what he implies, a very poor airplane as well as a very poor car. I am all for inventiveness and imagination, but other than a very limited number this idea is impractical, to say the least.

 

As g56 suggests: Manhattan reputedly has 8 million cars coming into it every day and 7 million parking places; now, imagine 10 thousand of these things looking for a place to land and then park. I think I would rather have a folding bicycle.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[Guest greatness]

Well

 

Don't be afraid of new technology.. People will find ways to park this thing. Another wave of change is coming in terms of transportation.. Will it be like the flying taxi in "Fifth Element"..

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ragtag04/227537827/

 

As g56 suggests: Manhattan reputedly has 8 million cars coming into it every day and 7 million parking places; now, imagine 10 thousand of these things looking for a place to land and then part. I think I would rather have a folding bicycle.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[Boston Guy]

Well, for one thing, it needs a runway to take off and land on.

 

BG

[+ purplekow]

Well, for one thing, it needs a runway to take off and land on.

 

BG

 

Sounds like this might be better for some of the places with wide open spaces. Driving down the highway, then take off and land further down the highway in Texas or Arizona. After all, they dont say there are miles and miles of miles and miles in Texas for nothing.

[Boston Guy]

A mile of highway will take you a mile down the road.

 

A mile of runway can take you anywhere.

 

BG

[Boston Guy]

Whenever the Terrafugia takes to the air, its pilot will need to abide by all of the appropriate regulations -- of which there are many.

 

If a plane is in trouble and needs to land, its pilot can land anywhere without fear of breaking the law, including on any available roads. But using the road to take off is a different story. As I understand it, the law in many states prohibits using roads as runways. Of course, if flying cars became popular, those laws could be changed. But I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

 

BG

[+ purplekow]

I was envisioning an airstrip parellel to the road, kind of like a HOV lane in densely populated areas, which serves as a runway.

[Boston Guy]

Well, that might be cool. Anything that makes it easier to use airplanes is ok with me.

 

Then again, there are a lot of airports out there. There are about 19,500 airports in the US, including all types of airports. About 5,500 of those airports are classified as "public use". And about 500 of those have passenger service.

 

BG

[KMEM]

Remember, helicopters can land almost anywhere but they still have physical as well as regulatory limitations AND are very expensive to operate. Once you get away from cities an autogyro aka gyro copter might make more sense IF you just have to drive your flying vehicle somewhere or fly your car somewhere. Why?

 

Moving sidewalks, high speed trains or even teleporters-yes, but flying cars-no. Fun to consider but they will always be experimental only.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[Boston Guy]

I was looking an autogyro at the airport a couple of days ago, fairly like this one:

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DKIgV4qgaf8/SR55hQdFlyI/AAAAAAAAABY/eY4hmIRLQgA/s400/gyro.jpg

 

It was the first time that I'd seen one up close. The phrase "deathtrap" crossed my mind more than once.

 

I know that the fuselage of my airplane is flimsy, but it's comforting to have it there nonetheless. Of course, I'm considering trying parachute jumping, so I don't claim to have much consistency in these points of view.

 

BG

[gp0560]

I wouldn't like to think that teenagers might be flying around up there getting road head.

[+ deej]

You know those jackasses who cut you off on the freeway determined to beat you to the exit by two seconds?

 

Imagine them trying to cut you off getting to the runway for a landing.

 

General aviation is no place for the general population.

[Lookin]

http://images31.fotki.com/v1053/photos/8/801079/3367418/old_driver-vi.gif

 

What the hell are them kids doin' on the runway !

.

[Guest greatness]

lol

 

You make me laugh~~~ Happy 4th of July Lookin~~~

 

http://images31.fotki.com/v1053/photos/8/801079/3367418/old_driver-vi.gif

 

What the hell are them kids doin' on the runway !

.

[KMEM]

BG-

 

Have you ever looked at a Breezy up close? Just think of the gyrocopter as having a lot of places to get out of it, in a hurry, if necessary. I am not promoting gyrocopters or the like but, compared to a helicopter or airplane for that matter, the whole thing is very "unloaded".

 

Why would you want to leave a perfectly good airplane?

 

deej-

 

Although aviation has a very low incidence of FWI or FUI, we do have some outsized egos and they just might cut you off in the landing pattern.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[Boston Guy]

I haven't seen a Breezy up close but I think whoever chose the name was a genius at understatement.

 

http://breezybuilders.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hlavacflying1.jpg

 

 

Actually they look fun and I'm sure that I'd be willing to give it a try.

 

Regarding the autogyros, I'm just exhibiting my fixed-wing bias. My immediate thought is that if the fan quits, I want to have a wing to fly it down. But of course pilots who fly gyrocopters say that they are safer in an engine out situation than fixed-wing craft and even, as I understand it, helicopters.

 

The closest I've come to anything like that so far is a Supercub on floats off a lake, with the cockpit open. That was fun and an experience that I'm looking to duplicate in a couple of ways, by getting a tailwheel endorsement and also an ASES. (I'm sorry to use some jargon here, folks. A tailwheel endorsement will allow me to fly planes that have the third wheel in the back rather than in the front:

 

http://www.superiorflight.com/img/pages/tailwheel_01.jpg

 

And an ASES is a form of pilot's "license" that allows a pilot to fly float planes and amphibious planes (planes that can land on and take off from both land and water):

 

http://www.bergoiata.org/fe/Alaska3/Alaska%20-%20Float%20Plane%20On%20Se%20Alaskan%20Lake.jpg

 

BG

[Boston Guy]

bg-

 

why would you want to leave a perfectly good airplane?

 

Always a good question!

 

:D

[KMEM]

If you suddenly see a Breezy while it is flying but near the ground, you might think he left the airplane somewhere else and just attached some wings to himself.

 

You can fly an amphibian now with your SEL but, of course, not on or off the water.

 

Super Cubs are a lot of fun. Their attributes include: High wing for good sight seeing, enough power to take two folks most anywhere, rugged, fairly inexpensive to operate and it has toe brakes. I hate heel brakes.

 

If you actually "fly" the airplane now instead of drive it around, i.e. full stall landings, dealing with the wind until actually in the chocks, etc. you will have little to no problem adjusting to a tail dragger. Be sure and fly it around enough to not only get comfortable but to also have some fun. When I got my SES I only got 1.7 hours and that included the check ride. I was not nearly ready to quit having fun when it was all over.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[Boston Guy]

I haven't yet had the opportunity to experience heel brakes. I've heard that they are interesting.

 

I do try to fly it all the way to the hangar. Full-stall landings each time; if the horn isn't going off, I'm a bit disappointed. I've learned to like slow approaches and landings when conditions don't require something faster and very much enjoy operating off short grass fields.

 

I had the opportunity to do a couple of ASES lessons a while back and thought it was an amazingly beautiful experience. The tranquility we experienced while approaching the lake in the Cub was almost breath-taking. I also found the challenge of flying a stick for the first time, flying with the wrong hand, etc. to be quite fun.

[KMEM]

I predict you will have a LOT of fun with your tail dragger and SES learning experiences. There is no such thing as the "wrong" hand.

 

Best regards,

KMEM