World’s first flying car makes its debut

The world’s first flying car took to the skies on March 18. Its name is the Transition, because it can switch between the road and the sky. The car that looks like a plane that looks like a car took off from a small airport in New York. The “roadable aircraft” is from a Boston based company called Terrafugia, which means “escape from land” in Latin. The designer and Terrafugia CEO Carl Dietrich has spent the past decade working on the project. In 2006 he won a $30,000 design award from the Massacheusettes Institute of Technology. He said his inspiration was to do something about America’s crowded highways and airports. Dietrich said: "This flight is a symbol of a new freedom in aviation. It's what enthusiasts have been striving for since 1918."

The two-seater Transition can take off and land at airports and drive on any road. The US government said it is officially a light sport aircraft and not a car. The flying car has wings that fold up for use on the road. It is around 5.8 metres long and 2 metres wide. Terrafugia hopes to start selling the Transition in 2011. The selling price will be between $150,000 and $200,000. There are already more than forty orders for it. Dietrich is excited about the Transition’s future. He told reporters: "This breakthrough changes the world of personal mobility. Travel now becomes a hassle-free integrated land-air experience.” It is not yet clear whether traffic police or air traffic control will handle the dozens, perhaps hundreds or thousands, of flying cars.

http://www.breakingnewsenglish.com/0903/090320-flying_car.html