TAMPA, Fla. (CBS12) — Flying cars are no longer just a futuristic dream in Florida, as two electric aircraft took to the skies over Tampa Bay on Friday, marking a major step toward a new way of traveling across the Sunshine State.
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the first in a series of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) demonstration flights led by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).
The demonstration featured two electric aircraft, commonly referred to as “flying cars,” taking off from Albert Whitted Airport in St. Petersburg, flying in formation over Tampa Bay and landing at Signature Aviation at Tampa International Airport.
Thousands of spectators witnessed the demonstration, which followed the same historic route as the world’s first commercial airline flight between St. Petersburg and Tampa in 1914.
“This morning, history was made in Tampa Bay with Florida’s first Advanced Air Mobility electric aircraft demonstration flights,” DeSantis said. “From the first commercial airline flight over Tampa Bay in 1914, to today’s AAM demonstrations along that same historic route, Florida has long been a launchpad for new ideas that shape the future of transportation.”
The flights are part of Florida’s “Future of Flight Series,” an initiative designed to explore how electric aircraft could eventually transport passengers and goods across the state.
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The demonstrations are being conducted as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program.
According to FDOT, the flights will help researchers and federal aviation officials collect data on aircraft noise, airspace integration and other factors needed to develop regulations and operating procedures for commercial use.
“More than 100 years ago, Florida helped launch the commercial aviation industry, and now Florida is paving the way for the future of flying cars,” FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue said.
The state is working with aviation companies Joby Aviation and BETA Technologies, along with universities, airports and local governments, to test the emerging technology.
BETA Technologies CEO Kyle Clark said the company’s ALIA aircraft has already completed repeated flights along the Interstate 4 corridor, with energy costs of less than $17 per flight segment during earlier operations.
Joby Aviation CEO JoeBen Bevirt said the company plans to demonstrate its aircraft across Florida, including Tampa Bay, Orlando and the Space Coast.
Earlier story: ‘We truly are in the age of flying cars’: DeSantis touts air taxis, autonomous vehicles
The demonstration flights will also test Florida’s proposed Aerial Highway Network, a system of designated flight corridors intended to connect major destinations across the state.
The network would follow heavily traveled routes, including the Interstate 4 corridor, to explore whether electric aircraft could help passengers bypass roadway congestion.
FDOT said the demonstrations will provide information to help federal regulators evaluate how advanced air mobility aircraft could eventually operate commercially.
While Friday’s flights mark a milestone for Florida’s transportation plans, the aircraft are still being tested, and the state has not announced when routine commercial passenger service would begin.
Source: cbs12.com
