UP IN THE AIR
Music legend becomes first man to pilot amazing new ‘flying car’ & set to go on sale in just months
Famous tech music pioneer now backs flying car
A MUSIC legend has become the first man to pilot a new "flying car" which is set to go on sale in just months.
Electro pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre was the first person to take off in KleinVision's flying car.
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It transforms, James Bond-like, from a sports car into a plane in just minutes.
For now it is powered by a 1.6 litre BMW engine, but that could change as the tech progresses.
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The French pop maestro, who has sold over 100 million albums, jumped at the chance to complete two flights in the cutting edge machine.
Made in Slovakia by Professor Stefan Klein and KleinVision's co-founder Anton Zajac, the AirCar was approved for flight in 2022 following more than 200 successful takeoffs and landings.
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The year before, the record-breaking vehicle had become the first flying car to complete an intercity flight.
Now, a successful flight involving a passenger has been added to the growing list of milestones.
Jarre, who became a cult figure amongst schoolboys across Europe in the 1980s and 90s, said: "One second you speak to the driver, and next, you are up there in the air. An amazing experience."
Mind-blowing AirCar turns into an airplane in three minutes – and soars over traffic at 125mph
"As soon as the technology improves, we will simply run on batteries," Mr Zajac told Sky News.
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He added: "We are bridging the gap between the road and the sky, giving cars the freedom they symbolised 50 years ago."
The Slovakian government announced plans for flying taxis to be a reality by 2030 in its Future of Flight action plan.
Mr Zajac has high hopes that the AirCar will hit the market in around a year, however.
But in order to operate the vehicle, you'll need to have both a driver's licence and a pilot's licence.
On top of that, you'll also need to undertake a specialised two-to-three month flying course.
Last month, Tech firm Alef Aeronautics released footage of its own flying car soaring over a busy city.
Dubbed the "commute of the future", the vehicle can drive on roads and take off to avoid traffic jams.
Alef Aeronautics's Model A became the first road-worthy flying car to receive approval for test flights from the Federal Aviation Administration in July 2022.
The start-up is backed by Elon Musk's SpaceX and can "drive on the street, take off vertically when needed, and fly overhead above traffic," according to Alef's website.
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