FAA approves test flights of flying car in skies above Silicon Valley

Jul 03, 2023

By Karah Rucker (Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Digital Producer)

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The Federal Aviation Administration has given a flying car permission to begin test flying in the skies above Silicon Valley. It’s a concept only seen on movie screens but it is now being turned into reality.

Alef Aeronautics is a California-based company led by CEO Jim Dukovny. He said the new flying contraption is a small step for planes, but a giant step for cars.

“It’s safer than helicopters and planes, and safer than regular cars on the ground,” Dukovny said.

The next-generation automobile is said to drive like a car and park like a car, but it can also take-off vertically and has a rotating design. It has a driving range of 200 miles and a flying range of 100 miles.

The FAA gave the green light for the company to test fly. In the meantime, the agency is working on policies for the take-off and landing of electric vehicles.

As for Alef Aeronautics, the company is currently taking preorders on its website. The cost to own a flying car is currently priced at $300,000 and should be available in 2025.

Tags: Alef Aeronautics, California, Electric vehicles, FAA

CLIP UP: “Look up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane…”

KARAH RUCKER: IT’S A FLYING CAR! THE GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN A FLYING CAR PERMISSION TO BEGIN TEST-DRIVING — OR TEST FLYING — IN THE SKIES OF SILICON VALLEY. A SIGHT STRAIGHT FROM MOVIES SCENES…

CLIP UP: “Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

…AND TURNED INTO A REALITY.

FLYING ELECTRIC CAR HAS RANGE OF 110 MILES IN SKIES

ALEF AERONAUTICS IS A CALIFORNIA BASED COMPANY — LED BY CEO JIM DUKOVNY.

JIM DUKOVNY KRTV INTERVIEW: “It’s maybe a very small step for a plane, it’s a giant step for cars.”

THE NEXT GENERATION AUTOMOBILE SEEN HERE – IS SAID TO DRIVE LIKE A CAR, PARK LIKE A CAR – BUT CAN ALSO TAKE-OFF VERTICALLY AND HAS A ROTATING DESIGN.

IT HAS A DRIVING RANGE OF 200 MILES AND A FLYING RANGE OF 100.

DUKOVNY: “It’s safer than helicopters and planes, and safer than regular cars on the ground.”

FAA WORKING ON POLICIES FOR FLYING CARS

RUCKER: THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION GAVE THE GREEN LIGHT FOR THE COMPANY TO TEST FLY – AND IN THE MEANTIME — THE AGENCY IS WORKING ON POLICIES FOR THE TAKE-OFF AND LANDING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

AS FOR ALEF-AERONAUTICS – THEY’RE CURRENTLY TAKING PREORDERS ON THEIR WEBSITE.

PRE-ORDER FLYING CAR PRICED AT $300,000

THE COST TO SAY YOU OWN A FLYING CAR IS CURRENTLY PRICED AT 300K.

AND IS SAID TO BE READY IN 2025.