We Are in the Year 2000. Where Are All the Flying Cars?

Question

I've had it! I want my flying cars and I want them now!

Answer 1

It boils down to two factors. First is economics. Ask any pilot out there and they will tell you it is very expensive to fly. Oh sure, there are a couple of exceptions here and there, but overall it is very expensive to buy a VTOL (Vertical Take Off & Landing) aircraft and much more expensive than just fuel to keep it flying. The second reason is logistics. Air traffic control is busy enough as is. Add in a few million more aircraft and you have the makings of a disaster. Ultralights won’t fix the problem either. They are extensively limited by the type of air space they are allowed to fly in. Due to the lack of license requirements for ultralights, you won’t be seeing that option any time soon. All in all, it is a nice dream, but best to leave it as a dream. Let Bubba drive his pickup to work so his duct tape and bailing wire won’t come crashing down on someone’s head.

Answer 2

I'm assuming you mean the 2000s and aren't living nearly 7 years in the past, because you do ask an interesting question. I'm in my 60s an well remember the comics of my youth showing flying cars dominating cities by the end of the 20th century. When I read Robert Heinlein as a teenager I became hooked on his 'future history' series where he had a timeline anticipating settlements on the Moon and on Mars, again before the end of the 20th century. That, clearly, didn't happen either. So far as the flying cars are concerned, really the whole idea is preposterous if you think about it. It takes a long time - and a lot of money - to get a pilot's licence. Imagine if everyone needed one to fly to work! Then there are the logistics - the air traffic control problems of handling all the traffic. No one would walk away alive from an 'fender bender' in the air. Then, generally, in the early 1970s the west was hit hard by the rise in oil prices, which led to galloping inflation. There was just not the money to put into expensive R&D for projects such as this - and into space exploration. Governments couldn't afford to fund bottomless pits of scientific research.My personal opinion is that that put expensive technological advances such as improved methods of space travel back by something like 50 years. What we did get, and what was not anticipated in my youth was this - the explosion in personal computing, the internet etc. That was reasonably cheap to develop - and with a reasonably quick return on investment.

Answer 3

Other things that we missed:
- moon base
- Mars mission
- fusion power
- totally independent and nearly sentient robots
- cure for cancer

The point here is that the imagination of science fiction authors is not the best gauge of what can be achieved, and especially not when suich thing can be achieved. Predictions are easy to do, and easy to miss. To be accurate means to know the intricacies of what one wants to predict.
Do you see scientists making wild predictions about the furturte? Not really, becasue they know how thought it is to actually do all the hard work, as opposed to sit in a comfy chair and not doing anything to help R&D except making crazy predictions.
Actually, sometimes, those predictions can be dangerous. If someone predicts that we will have such advanced 10 years form now, and that I am working on that field, and that I feel that it would take me 25 years, then I may say "what is the point, someone will beat me to it" and I quit researching. Except that this prediction was based on *nothing* and that I was the one who could have made it in 25 years, and all the other busy on that research also quitted for the same reason, and the goverments stops fundings because they think progress is too slow.
This happened with the space program. 1957: first satellite in orbit. 1961 first man in orbit. 1969 first man on the moon. And then what? A space shuttle that failed twice, because the design was heavily compromized by politicians who wanted it dirt cheap, totally unaware that making something too cheap ends up costing more money.
That is where your flying car is. Flushed away by near sighted politicians.
Meanwhile, you can look at the other answer I provide on this topic a few days ago:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtJ7JRjsPQ4rELHDWEszKKnsy6IX?qid=20061220110320AAhUjgi&show=7#profile-info-17a572f5c0e7647a146c47133e30642eaa

Answer 4

I think that is the same question somebody asked in 1955 when Molt Taylor predicted his Aerocar that he invented in 1949 would be in every garage. It was the thing of the future and probably still is. Only a few were built and only 1 or 2 survive.

Answer 5

There will be flying cars when more than 49% of the people will have privat airline companies and can fly aircrafts.And dont forget that pilots will never Exctinct.

Answer 6

You are probably very lucky they aren't around yet.
Imagine all the balls of fire that would erupt over the streets of new york city or any other large or small city if all the cars were flying around overhead!

Answer 7

Those are science fiction things and they may happen but no one said it would happen in the year 2000 exactly. Plus it's 2006 almost 2007

Answer 8

It has arise many situations over the years. interior the 50s, there certainly grew to become right into a flying motor vehicle. this is basically somebodies pipe dream. how many human beings do you know who has a pilot's license?

Answer 9

They have been around for a long time, in small quantities. The one I saw has removable wings that allows you to drive off onto the highway. So, If you have the money, you can get one now.

Answer 10

Your flying car, (A "spinner" for you Philip K. Dick fans) is here:

http://www.gadgetopia.com/post/5579

official web site is http://www.moller.com . It's very cool.

Better hurry, things like this move fast on E-Bay....

I'm kinda burned out on cars of any sort. I'm holding my breath for the Transporter.