Flying Car Soon To Hit The Streets...and Air --Maybe

What if I told you that you could be flying to work each morning and dropping off the kids on the way? If you thought hard about it, you would probably mention the fact that a whole new set of rules and drivers tests would be issued out for everyone who owned such a car. Whether it be in our lifetime, or our children's, the prospect is still a little intriguing.

Meet the Terrafugia's airplane / motorcar hybrid. This vehicle has been in the minds of engineers for years, but they are hoping to make their dreams come true no later than July. A team of ten is working to ready the vehicle for its debut at this year's AirVenture, where it hopes to catch more than a few eyes. It has already caught my eye, but will it catch others? They can only hope.

This thing is meant to both fly and drive, and yes, that means it'll have to pass safety regulations from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If all goes well, the startup expects to deliver its first vehicle to a customer in 2009, while mass production isn't scheduled to happen until 2012. Although this seems a bit far- fetched, I have seen some things equally far-fetched that have made it in time for the holidays. Imagine your son or daughter (or even yourselves) asking for this thing and the next morning it is there hovering in your driveway just waiting on you to take it for a spin...

I'm thinking not as close as they are hoping. Soon though, I am sure.