History of Aviation
Civil Transportation Issues
The solution to these problems begins by taking much of the nation’s mid-range, (150-300 miles) travel off of the ground and away from the hub-and-spoke model of major airports around the country. A few engineers who are familiar with these problems, like inventors Paul Moller and Carl Dietrich (Ph.D., MIT) from industry-leading firm Terrafugia, believe this solution can be achieved with their “roadable aircraft”; in other words, flying cars. Rather than relying on our first image of this idea, which might involve something like a Volkswagen soaring through the air, try to imagine a small aircraft with street-legal characteristics. At first thought, this type of plane-car hybrid might seem like technology far beyond our current capabilities. However, Paul Moller, inventor and designer of the “Skycar” prototype aircraft, explains that when we “went to the moon, the technology there was much more difficult than what I’m dealing with here” .
Since production of a few of these futuristic plane-cars is well underway, it is clear that technological limitations are not preventing flying cars from becoming commonplace. According to NASA, the real problem lies in outdated airspace architecture and operations. In other words, small aircraft like these will only become available to the general public when the National Airspace System (NAS) can ensure safety and proper traffic regulations. NAS is the infrastructure of the sky, most commonly used by commercial airliners. A complex network of thousands of air traffic control facilities and ground radar systems functions for the purpose of ensuring the safety of the thousands of flights that depart and arrive in US airports every day . This system, though one of the most advanced in the world, is not strong enough to manage the influx of new traffic due to increased commercial travel as well as the potential for personalized flight travel.
What this does for civil transportation and the nation’s domestic economy is an entirely different story. NextGen and the subsequent potential for frequent small aircraft usage provide a breakthrough in civil transportation. Although our nation’s airspace capacity and avionic technology will take approximately 15 years to fully advance and develop, the transformation of transportation infrastructure is sure to have a substantial effect on all sectors of the economy. Efficient transportation will no longer be held at bay by increasing motor vehicle production and usage and stagnant road and highway construction. From next-day pharmaceutical delivery in rural locales to tapping into human workforce resources in otherwise unreachable areas, the possibility of more traffic in the airspace above us opens a world of opportunity. Though it is unlikely that roadable aircraft become entirely commonplace within the next few years, thriving developments in both aviation and aeronautic technology are quickly turning fiction into fact.
-  M. Renner. “Vehicle Production Rises, But Few Cars Are “Green” | Worldwatch Institute.” Worldwatch Institute. [On-line]. Available: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5461, May 2008 [Oct. 17, 2010].
-  “BTS | Table 1-11: Number of U.S. Aircraft, Vehicles, Vessels, and Other Conveyances.” RITA | Bureau of Transportation Statistics. [On-line]. Available: http://www.bts.gov/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_11.html [Oct. 15, 2010].
-  ABCNews.com. “Traffic Facts and Figures – ABC News.” Internet: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/Traffic/story?id=462298&page=1, Feb. 2005 [Oct. 15, 2010].
-  P. Moller. “Paul Moller on the Skycar | Video on TED.com.” Internet: http://www.ted.com/talks/paul_moller_on_the_skycar.html, Jan. 2009 [Oct. 16, 2010].
-  “Forbes.com Video Network | Forbes Executive Travel: Inside Terrafugia’s Flying Car.” Forbes. [On-line]. Available: http://video.forbes.com/fvn/travel/inside-terrafugia-flying-car [Oct. 18, 2010].
-  Terrafugia. “Terrafugia – Transition® the Roadable Light Sport Aircraft : The Vehicle.” Internet: http://www.terrafugia.com/aircraft.html, [Oct. 16, 2010].
-  Federal Aviation Administration. “Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen): Gate to Gate. FAA.” Internet: http://www.faa.gov/nextgen, [Oct. 20, 2010].
-  NASA. “NASA – Small Aircraft Transportation System.” Internet: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/langley/news/factsheets/SATS.html, Mar. 2001 [Oct. 22, 2010].
-  NASA. “ARMD – NextGen Airspace.” Internet: http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/asp/airspace/index.htm, Jan. 23, 2009 [Oct. 20, 2010].
-  Federal Aviation Administration. “NextGen Benefits.” Internet: http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/benefits, May 19, 2010 [Oct. 19, 2010].