Elon Musk’s electric flying car receives first flight clearance
Mobility company Alef Aeronautics, backed by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has received a special certification of airworthiness from the US Federal Aviation Administration, marking the first time such a vehicle has received legal approval to fly from the federal government. .
Alef Aeronautics' "Model A" flying car was unveiled to the public in October 2022. The FAA's Special Limited Airworthiness Certification means that the 100% electric flying car, which can drive on the road and take off vertically when needed, it may be "used for limited purposes, including exhibits, research and development," an FAA spokesperson told Fox Business.
“We are thrilled to receive this certification from the FAA. It brings us one step closer to giving people faster, more environmentally friendly transportation, saving people and businesses hours of work every week. It's one small step for planes, one giant leap for cars,” said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef.
FAA officials are developing policies for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, as well as regulations and ground infrastructure.
Last month, the FAA proposed a new rule requiring eVTOL operators to train and become certified pilots. This implies that any new eVTOLs that hit the market in the next few years will likely require some form of pilot license from the operator.
“These proposed rules of the sky will safely usher in this new era of aviation and provide the certainty the industry needs to thrive,” said David Boulter, Acting Associate Administrator for Aviation Safety.
The FAA stressed that "the new rules are needed because many of the proposed aircraft take off and land like a helicopter but fly en route like an airplane." The proposed rules will allow "pilots and the industry to have the certainty of what the requirements and expectations for the operation of these aircraft will be once they are finalized," the agency continued.
As eVTOLs become more affordable and the FAA lays the groundwork to ensure airspace is ready for these vehicles, there will be a surge in demand for pilot training as this mode of transportation revolutionizes travel.
Obviously, before these flying cars are widespread, it will take years, and not a few. Furthermore, the problem of the licenses required to use them will still need to be resolved.
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The article Elon Musk's electric flying car receives a first authorization to fly comes from Economic Scenarios .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/lauto-volante-elettrica-di-elon-musk-riceve-una-prima-autorizzazione-al-volo/ on Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:00:27 +0000.