The Next Frontier: The PAL-V Liberty Could Be the World’s First Flying Car

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March 7, 2018

Whether we admit or not, most of us have at one time or another wished that we could just fly to our destination instead of riding a car. Blame Manila traffic for this, if you will. Well, this may not necessarily be science-fiction anymore as the world’s first flying car, the PAL-V Liberty makes its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show this week.

Created by Dutch manufacturer PAL-V, the Liberty is a mix between an actual three-wheeled road car and an aircraft.  The road car part is quite straightforward,  with three wheels for traction. As for the aircraft part, it uses helicopter blades and a pusher prop to keep it in flight. Once airborne, the wheels retract and it it said to fly like a small plane.

One drawback, though, is that converting from car to plane and vice-versa isn’t as simple as pushing a button. There is a bit of mechanical tweaking involved, that, according to sources, can take anywhere from five to 10 minutes. And yes, you will need to have both a driver’s license and a pilot’s license to be able to drive, err, fly, err, operate this thing.

And even though it makes its world premiere, PAL-V still needs to have it certified in order to make it legal to use—particularly up in the air. This will take place after the motor show. But should the Liberty pass the test, it should see production beginning next year. As for the price, this would be roughly $399,000. (roughly P20,000,000)

While it may a be long way from hitting EDSA, it is comforting to know that there’s hope for our traffic woes—even if it may still be up in the air at the moment.

About the Author

Mr. Gerard Jude Castillo
Gerard has been a self-confessed car nut ever since he was a little boy. As a grown-up, he indulges in his passion by collecting toy cars (which he started since childhood) and reading up on the latest cars out there.  As Associate Editor, he will ensure that you get your fill of the latest cars in the market, as well as a load of automotive features.