Dreams of flying

Take a deep breath, flying cars will not become a reality any time in the near future

Uber will collaborate with Bell Helicopter to Develop Urban Electric VTOLs. Photo Courtesy: Bell Helicopter

Flying cars have been the material of dreams for as long as anyone can remember. The taxi company Uber is trying to make those dreams into a reality with an announcement last week that it will launch prototype flying cars in time for the Expo 2020 in Dubai. While the technology enabling flying cars exists, the use of such cars by the public has a long way to go.

For one thing, there are an awful lot of regulatory issues that have to be worked out to accommodate flying cars. Just look at the issues regarding drone regulation. Having flying objects around some of the busiest airports in the world, such as Dubai International, poses a major safety risk, which authorities are only now working out. Flying cars would present a new set of challenges that will require significant debate.

For now, flying cars are confined to our dreams. Our children might one day enjoy these flying machines but there is a lot of legwork that must be done before we get there.