We might be on the cusp of the next niche in collision repair. The Google-backed startup Kitty Hawk has unveiled a prototype of its all-electric personal aircraft, the Flyer, and the company promises that the aircraft will be available for sale by the end of the year.
Kitty Hawk says the Flyer is “safe, tested and legal to operate in the United States in uncongested areas under the Ultralight category of [Federal Aviation Administration] regulations.” The company designed the aircraft to be flown over fresh water, for recreational purposes.
Operating the Flyer doesn’t require a pilot’s license, and the company promises that customers will “learn to fly in minutes.”
“Our mission is to make the dream of personal flight a reality,” Kitty Hawk explains on its website. “We believe when everyone has access to personal flight, a new, limitless world of opportunity will open up to them. At Kitty Hawk, we engineer, design and build safe, fun, easy-to-fly aircraft.”
If it’s that easy to fly, imagine how easy it is to crash.
The April 24 unveiling of the Kitty Hawk Flyer comes after years of rumors that Google has been working on a flying car. But as one reporter noted, the Flyer looks more like “a jet ski with wings.”
