Michael J--We've Got A Better Car For You Than That Rigged Up Old Lotus. This Is AeroMobil 3.0--A Real Flying Car

We've covered a bit of Elon Musk's ultrasonic sonar electric cars, and gushed about its cool features like the multi-sensors and autopilot mode. And while Tesla is no doubt one of the coolest and progressive companies in the world, I was struck today by something I had never seen before, beyond of course a mere schematic: The flying car. 

Perhaps you've seen this already before, but for those who haven't, this is an amazing glimpse not only into the distant future, but the future being created right now. 

The problem with so many predictions about the future, as has been mentioned in this blog, is that people falsely believe the future will be much like it is today; they make the mistake of projecting in a linear, rather than an exponential fashion. In articles I've read about the future of driving, much of the technology looks too much like today, especially when the article attempts to project to 2050--a futile and ridiculous task if you are not able to push your imagination into the almost inconceivable. 

Putting all that aside, here is the AeroMobil 3.0, which made its debut at the Pioneer Festival in Vienna on October 29, 2014. AeroMobil is a company based in Slovakia that has been designing and prototyping their version of the flying car since 1989. 

The AeroMobil 3.0 Official Demo Video

From the company press release, the AeroMobil 3.0 will serve the following two purposes:

First, it will be used to test and improve the final performance, features, and characteristics. Second, it will be used for initial marketing purposes, including presentations at major trade shows.

Not stopping there, the team at AeroMobil have set their goal to having the flying car regulated under European Union regulatory requirements both for a vehicle and light aircraft:

The AeroMobil 3.0 prototype has been largely developed in such a way that would enable the company to certify (homologate) the vehicle in the European Union, according to the existing car and airplane regulatory requirements for a small series category M1 car and light sport aircraft (LSA).

The AeroMobil 3.0 Specifications

While this particular flying car will not be for sale, AeroMobil is filling a gap in the flying car prototype that is as attractive as a land vehicle as it is as a flying one. And you can see why that is when reading, e.g., about Stefan Klein, the Co-Founder and CTO of AeroMobil who, having graduated from Slovak University of Technology in 1983, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (AFAD), and also at the École des Beaux Arts et Design, Saint Étienne in 1993. A rich education of both the technical and the aesthetic.

Perhaps like Musk's team at Tesla, those at AeroMobil have an amazing vision for a flying car that we should all take note of. If I had a choice, what would I choose? A Tesla or an AeroMobil? Seeing the car in the video taking off that lush grassy runway into the idyll of sky and cloud was no less than inspiring. Imagine being able to drive to a site and then with a push of a button transform your car into a plane and spend the afternoon flying... 

And what will such a thing look like in 2050? Might look like a concept car these days from the 1950s--or like no less than a horse and buggy...