The Incredible “Flying Car”
Scheduled to Appear at Greenwich

By Bruce Wennerstrom

The Greenwich Concours d’Elegance is noted for showing some of the world’s rarest, fastest, most exotic, beautiful, historic and exclusive cars in the world. For 2009 add to the list “the highest-flying car in the world”: On June 6-7 the Greenwich Concours will unveil for car enthusiasts, for the first time, what television and the popular press have called “The Amazing Flying Car.”

The car is, in fact, truly amazing. It was designed and built by Terrafugia Inc., founded in 2006 by award-winning MIT-trained aeronautical engineers, who also happened to be passionate private pilots. They named the craft Transition.

Carl Dietrich, CEO of Terrafugia Inc., more carefully and precisely describes Transition as a “roadable aircraft,” but it may be tough to shed the “flying car” label, because it is a sophisticated two-place 115-mph airplane with a 10,000-foot ceiling and a 460-mile range that, upon landing, can fold up its wings and transform into a car in just 30 seconds at the touch of a button, or become an airplane again, in another 30 seconds.

Naysayers and doubters may scoff at the Transition, as there have been many attempts in the past at building an airplane/car combo. But modern materials – Transition is largely lightweight composite construction – and modern engines and computer-based avionics have made it possible and practical.

Light-plane pilots joke, “If you’re not in a hurry, fly,” because, if they encounter bad weather, they have to land and wait it out, or rent a car to continue on their way, with the inconvenience of having to retrace their steps back to their aircraft to return home. With Transition, bad weather is no obstacle, just land, fold up the wings, and continue on your way and – if the weather clears – go airborne again.

Transition also answers another concern of private pilots: cost. This plane doesn't need a hangar, just a typical suburban garage; it can be fueled at the corner gas station; and it gets 30 mpg at highway speeds. The same 100hp Rotax engine that spins the four-bladed prop also drives the front wheels through a variable-ratio transmission in Transition's car mode. It has a two-place side-by-side cabin, with a cargo area that can accommodate golf clubs, skis, or fishing rods. The estimated cost for Transition is $194,000, which, as private aircraft go, is quite reasonable, especially considering its tremendous versatility. A full-vehicle parachute is available as an option.

Notably, Transition meets the FAA’s Light Sport Aircraft criteria, which permits a novice to qualify for a pilot's license with as little as 20 hours of instruction.

So who will buy a Transition? Certainly sport and recreational pilots. First responders, too. But we think a great market is for CEOs of small companies who also serve as their company’s principal salesperson, and who have a lot of territory to cover. Not only will it enable the CEO to efficiently make a lot of sales calls, but what a door-opener Transition would make. Consider the sales prospect, who would at least meet with the flying salesmen to look over the Transition … and maybe get a ride.