Photo from Travelismo.com

Terrafugia Transition: World’s First FAA-Approved Flying Car – It’s a bird!  It’s a plane!  It’s a car?

Yes, it’s true!!!  The first flying CAR approved by the Federal Aviation Authority, the same agency that approves planes for flying, is the Terrafugia Transition.  And it only costs a whopping $194,000!

The FAA considers a “light aircraft” to be a flying vehicle that weighs no more than 1,200 pounds, but thanks to car safety features like “crumple zones” and seatbelts, the Transition weights 1,320 pounds.  But, the FAA gave the aircraft/car a special exemption as a “light aircraft/car”.    This special exemption will make it easier to purchase because licenses for light aircraft only require 20 hours of flight experience.

What does this mean?  It means that we’re one step closer to the worlds of The Jetsons, Minority Report, The Fifth Element, or Star Wars.  And, it also means that future car chases have the potential to get really interesting.

So, one can conceivably wake up in Los Angeles and fly to San Diego for work, looking down at the poor peons below sitting on the 5 freeway, honking and waving their fists at you as they’re stuck in gridlock.   AS of 11:59 p.m.  June 29, about 70 people have put a deposit on the vehicle.