| If you are an American Baby Boomer you certainly | | | | air regulatory constraints and must weigh in just |
| remember the popular cartoon show called the | | | | below 1,500 lbs fully loaded with passengers and |
| Jetsons! It was everyone's desire to live the Jetson | | | | gear, about the size of a Mini Cooper. |
| life back in the 1950s; robots doing your chores, and | | | | The company tells us that transitioning from car to |
| cars that could fly. I imagine that at least one of the | | | | plane and from plane to car takes place in as much |
| co-founders from MIT is a baby-boomer- or | | | | time as it takes to lower a convertible top! In the air |
| baby-boomers kid, who was inspired by that very | | | | it can fly for up to 460 miles at an air speed of |
| program. | | | | approximately 110 miles per hour. It is designed to fly |
| Look up, it's a bird, it's a plane...no - it is not | | | | at altitudes under 10,000 ft. |
| Superman. It's a plane...no it's a car...no it's the | | | | Was it wise that the FAA has reduced the air time |
| Transition. The Terrafugia (literally meaning "escape | | | | required to receive a pilot's license on these vehicles |
| from the land" in Latin) company has developed the | | | | to just 20 hours? I couldn't venture a guess on that |
| latest concept in flight technology; called the | | | | one, however, that is one-half of the required regular |
| Transition. Although it has been in the works since | | | | flying time for heavier private planes. Yikes! Is that a |
| the 1950s, curiously, it is now available for the truly | | | | good idea? I think we'd better be checking to see |
| moderate price of $194,000.00, considering that a | | | | how many of these people have good driving |
| road-bound model 599 Ferrari costs upwards of | | | | records as well. |
| $350,000.00. | | | | This new car/plane can zip along highways at about |
| I imagine that many of you private pilots and | | | | 60mph and fills up on premium gasoline, a more |
| frequent flying executives will be researching the | | | | environmentally friendly way to fly. There is no need |
| details in light speed. We all hate the airport dashes | | | | for jet fuel which is much more costly and poses |
| to make a flight, the baggage problems, the possible | | | | higher toxin levels to our air. Gas mileage is said to be |
| viruses on board commercial planes, the cost of | | | | 30mpg. |
| chartering private planes, the problems of owning | | | | On top of the construction of this vehicle/craft and |
| your own plane, costs of hangar space, and having | | | | all of the regulatory red tape and safety issues the |
| to get to and from the airport. Those challenges may | | | | company came up against, as a business owner, I |
| be a thing of the past. With this brilliantly designed | | | | know that marketing this vehicle would be paramount |
| vehicle you can go from the airport right to your | | | | to the financial success of the company. Did they get |
| home and park this thing in your garage! | | | | enough upfront orders? It appears so! At this time |
| I've taken flying lessons, my husband was a pilot, and | | | | there are orders with down payments for 80 of the |
| having sat in the cockpit of a small plane, I realize | | | | Transition. That means the Terrafugia company |
| that there were definitely some very big engineering | | | | stands to bring in $15,520,000.00 at the get-go in |
| challenges the developers of the Terrafugia had to | | | | 2011. Not bad at all. |
| overcome. How did they create an airplane with an | | | | The company has plans to manufacture 300 to 400 |
| engine strong enough to lift and propel this vehicle | | | | annually. Now, I must add one word of caution if you |
| but one that does not overheat in standstill traffic? | | | | are thinking of running out to make a down payment |
| The manufacturers in Woburn, Massachusettes | | | | on this Jetson technology; you might want to wait |
| definitely had some brilliant engineers on their team | | | | until more pilots have flown one. At this time, it is my |
| from MIT. | | | | understanding that only one air force colonel has test |
| In this two-person cockpit they had to design | | | | flown the Transition; he did give it rave reviews. |
| controls that included a gas pedal, braking system, | | | | So, here we are Baby Boomers, in the throes of our |
| steering wheel, rudder pedals and a whole host of | | | | childhood dreams coming true. Haven't we all wished |
| instrumentation to assist a pilot mid-air. They also | | | | our cars could fly? What's next -Time Machines in our |
| needed to develop a craft that would not be too | | | | garages? You've gotta wonder! |
| heavy. So the Terrafugia's Transition has passed all | | | | Be safe, be well, have fun, and love life! |