People Are Now Riding Drones in San Fransisco… The Future is Here!

The day we have all been waiting for seems to be much closer now. I know since I was just a kid, flying cars have been something that seemed just outside the bounds of reality; a concept that should be achievable, but just the technology just hasn’t been there to make it possible.

While this video isn’t of an actual flying car, it is a definite step in that direction. More closely resembling a flying motorcycle, what you’re seeing is an upscaled drone that’s is controlled by the rider. With eight large propellers spread around the rider, the Kitty Hawk Flyer – confidently named for the location of the historic first manned flight by the Wright Brothers – likely uses onboard telemetry similar to modern quadcopter drones that have become incredibly popular over the past few years. The rider appears to be able to easily control the Kitty Hawk Flyer, using his body weight and the controls to maneuver the craft.

While this is a preproduction prototype, we have to assume the design will be something similar when it’s finished. The company says the first model will be designed to fly over water only, and will not require a pilot’s license to operate. They mention that pilots can learn to fly the Kitty Hawk Flyer in a matter of minutes. We’re curious to learn some details about the flyer itself, such as max altitude and range on a single charge. We would also like to see how a first-time flyer handles the controls, as this pilot likely has some considerable time aboard the prototype. All of those are minor details, though, and we are certainly ecstatic to see one of our dreams this close to coming true. Hopefully the price is reasonable and we can get one of our guys on board a Kitty Hawk Flyer to take it for a test drive when they’re available.