While navigating regulatory hurdles is nothing new for the cryptocurrency industry, it is an especially stiff challenge in the much older and vital air and ground transportation space. And while people have demanded flying cars for decades, even companies building them today are stymied.
Flying cars are edging toward the mainstream in the U.S., however, with the passage of new state-level regulations allowing private ownership of these versatile crafts, including the so-called ‘Jetsons Law’ in Minnesota. And one of the companies pressing forward to build flying cars is Redmond, Ore.-based Samson Sky.
Samson Sky founder and CEO Sam Bousfield says many flying car companies fail due to conflicting federal laws from two agencies: the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transportation (DOT).
“You've got the FAA for all the aircraft rules, and they've got a lot, and then you've got the DOT for all the ground stuff,” Bousfield told Decrypt in an interview. “Both sets of [regulations] fight each other at times, but you have to meet both of them to operate as a ground and air vehicle.”
To overcome this, the team classified their vehicle as an experimental aircraft, which has fewer FAA rules, and as a motorcycle because it has three wheels, which simplifies DOT compliance. The company noted that they built in extra safety features.
“Even though we weren't required, we went the extra mile to provide crash protection in the front and rear crumple zones, and also side intrusion protection and rollover protection, which is required by the FAA,” Bousfield said.
Launched in 2008, Samson Sky is the developer of the Switchblade Flying Sports Car. The Switchblade is a compact convertible car and airplane that the company says has a maximum airspeed of 200 mph, a cruising speed of 160 mph, and a maximum range of 450 miles. That means it could fly from San Diego, Calif. to Silicon Valley or San Jose on a single tank of gas.
According to Samson Sky, the company is accepting reservations for the Switchblade, which will come with a $170,000 price tag. The Switchblade is also designed to fit inside a typical garage, comparable in size to a Honda Accord.
While some may see it as a novelty, a waste, or unnecessary, Bousfield said the practical benefits of flying cars are compelling.
“I think that when people see the tremendous savings of time provided by the Switchblade, I think that they will change their minds,” he said.
To Bousfield’s point, the trip from San Diego to San Jose, in the example mentioned above, would take around seven hours to drive, as opposed to a flight that would only take one hour and twenty-five minutes.
“People have been dreaming of flying cars for decades,” Bousfield said. “It's a common dream throughout the world. I've talked with people in many, many countries, and they are all pretty much of the same mind. They think we should have them, and they're wondering why we don't, and [ask], ‘Can we have one now?’”
Another company taking to the skies is San Jose-based aerospace company Archer Aviation, which in June was approved by the FAA to operate its “air taxi” service in Los Angeles airspace.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.