From 0 to 13,000 feet

There are those of us who have waited all our lives to take a ride in a flying car. Little by little, that dream has gotten closer to reality.

Soon enough, flying cars won’t just be the stuff of dreams

There are those of us who have waited all our lives to take a ride in a flying car. Little by little, that dream has gotten closer to reality. If you’re one of those dreamers, 2025 might be your year. It’ll cost you of course, but for many when it comes to realizing a lifelong dream, money is no object.

Taking to the Air & the Streets

With the announcement of its final rules for powered lift aircraft last October, the FAA created its first new category of aircraft in 80 years, paving the way for air taxis and flying cars.

“Operators will need to figure out what makes financial sense; the market will determine where they’ll fly and what kind of operations they’ll conduct,” FAA administrator Mike Whitaker wrote. “Just like the first automobiles and cell phones, it could take time for these aircraft to become commonplace. But as more and more are produced, I think we’ll see them everywhere.”

Classified as an experimental aircraft, the Samson Switchblade comes with a builder assist program that helps buyers assemble their vehicles to satisfy FAA requirements. With three wheels as a street vehicle, the Switchblade promises to drive owners to their nearby local airports, where they can swing out the wings and tail in under 3 minutes and be ready for takeoff, flying at speeds of 200 mph at an altitude of 13,000 feet. The company’s Skybrid Technology features a four-cylinder engine that runs on premium gas. It powers electric motors for the wheels on the ground and propellers in the air.

“By running the motors directly from the generator to the wheels and the propellers, it is simpler, lighter, more efficient, and only a small battery pack will be required,” CEO Sam Bousfield said. “There is very little wasted energy, which means less fuel is needed to travel the same distance.

“The takeaway here is that this flying sports car enables you to drive and fly wherever you want, on your own schedule. And as a pilot, I can tell you that the freedom you will feel and the breathtaking views you will see while flying the Switchblade will be incredible!”

Samson hopes to have its assembly line ready by summer 2026.

Space to Grow

Exactly how all road-to-air travel will work remains to be seen, though the FAA’s ruling brings some clarity.

“When they do take to the skies, we envision they will initially fly routes much as helicopters do today,” Whitaker wrote. “They’ll use existing routes and infrastructure such as helipads and early vertiports. Pilots will communicate with air traffic controllers where required.”

As cities get more crowded, opening up more space for traffic could alleviate some traffic pressure. That’s the idea driving air taxi services like Vertical Aerospace, which promise a quick bypass of street traffic.

“I think that, eventually, we will see a day where we use the third dimension to help us get around,” Pat Anderson, the former director of the Eagle Flight Research Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, told Science News. “Otherwise, it’s going to be a pretty congested place.”

“Air mobility has the potential to change our sense of distance and time and open a future with the new option of air mobility that will further enrich the lives of many people,” Toyota chief technology officer Hiroki Nakajima said.

And it will make many dreams come true.

Damien Martin, Managing Editor