Passenger Carrying Drone? Oh, I Can't Wait for the FAA to Chime In

I hope it has some automated ADS-B traffic avoidance and a BRS. Otherwise it's a flying coffin.
 
Two of the developers buddies died in plane crashes so his solution is to do away with the control stick. :dunno:

no thanks...
 
But you won't have 23 minutes of 62 mph time will you? It won't be 23 miles. It takes time to get to that speed you might get 15 miles out of it. The thing isn't leaving the ground at 62 mph. It's gotta takeoff, climb to altitude THEN it cruises.

And..62 mph is the max speed, wanna bet it flies at 45-55?
 
this would be awesome. i bet we could buy these for the people in my region for less than we **** away on buses and choo choo trains (light rail) that we dumb billions into to move 3% of our drivers.
 
This will just be Amazon's way of delivering Dishwashers, TV's and any other heavy stuff that could fall on your house. Nothing to worry about here.
 
Caramon13 said:
But you won't have 23 minutes of 62 mph time will you? It won't be 23 miles. It takes time to get to that speed you might get 15 miles out of it. The thing isn't leaving the ground at 62 mph. It's gotta takeoff, climb to altitude THEN it cruises.

And..62 mph is the max speed, wanna bet it flies at 45-55?
Click to expand...

I concur, doctor. :D
 
It's a good thing you guys weren't in charge when Wilbur and Orville had their bicycle shop. " that thing has a range of 300 feet, it'll never lead to anything."
 
Silvaire said:
Two of the developers buddies died in plane crashes so his solution is to do away with the control stick. :dunno:

no thanks...
Click to expand...

:yeahthat: Operators better need at least private pilot as well. I can see it now flying my plane along and one of these automated things does a vertical takeoff into my underside.
 
jaymark6655 said:
:yeahthat: Operators better need at least private pilot as well. I can see it now flying my plane along and one of these automated things does a vertical takeoff into my underside.
Click to expand...

you'd need to be rotorcraft rated, right? PPL ASEL wouldn't do you any good.

that said, weather/airspaces/comms/etc are not relevant to the operator of this. mostly some airmanship and emergency procedures.

I'm sure this is just vaporware, but where I live, i spend 60 minutes every day to travel 14 road miles (8 air miles) home from work each day.

i'd pay A LOT to jump in and have a 12 minute cruise to work.

I also live 45 minutes via road or 1.5 miles via air from my home airport. it would be very interesting to be able to zip over to the airport, send the drone home to pick up my wife while i preflight, and then load into the plane and take off when she gets there (roughly 10 minutes after i get there)
 
MIFlyer said:
you'd need to be rotorcraft rated, right? PPL ASEL wouldn't do you any good.

that said, weather/airspaces/comms/etc are not relevant to the operator of this. mostly some airmanship and emergency procedures.

I'm sure this is just vaporware, but where I live, i spend 60 minutes every day to travel 14 road miles (8 air miles) home from work each day.

i'd pay A LOT to jump in and have a 12 minute cruise to work.

I also live 45 minutes via road or 1.5 miles via air from my home airport. it would be very interesting to be able to zip over to the airport, send the drone home to pick up my wife while i preflight, and then load into the plane and take off when she gets there (roughly 10 minutes after i get there)
Click to expand...

Take a bicycle, razor scooter, skateboard, one of those fancy hoverboards....or hell, just walk the 1.5 miles. Rumor has it, please run distances MUCH greater than that... :lol:
 
timwinters said:
It's a good thing you guys weren't in charge when Wilbur and Orville had their bicycle shop. " that thing has a range of 300 feet, it'll never lead to anything."
Click to expand...

Airplanes that fly 300 ft never did.

It's a prototype. But in this case, the thing necessary to make it anything more than an overpriced novelty is a two-order-of-magnitude improvement in battery storage efficiency.
 
Last edited:
Can you fly it from the cockpit using the remote control?
 
If it wasn't across a lake, I'd walk. I'm considering a kayak, but don't want to get chopped by a seaplane
 
jaymark6655 said:
:yeahthat: Operators better need at least private pilot as well. I can see it now flying my plane along and one of these automated things does a vertical takeoff into my underside.
Click to expand...

The description suggests that whomever is in it is along for the ride, and not "operating" anything much other than the takeoff, land and "OnStar-like get-me-outta-here" buttons. Not even sure why they need a "land" command when the pre-programmed GPS destination should take care of that for you?

Got a friend who is at CES who stopped by to have a look. He says they are also claiming it is Thunder Storm Proof. Didn't explain what sort of FIKI technology is on it though :rolleyes:

On a serious note, it would seem to be an easier problem to solve to build a "self-flying plane" than to build a self-driving car. Less to hit up there, particularly pedestrians, and the landscape culture doesn't really change day to day (new road signs, crosswalks, construction zones and other things for the vehicle to identify, recognize and deal with on the same route it took yesterday).
 
Even George Jetson had a control stick

hqdefault.jpg
 
Last edited:
GRG55 said:
The description suggests that whomever is in it is along for the ride, and not "operating" anything much other than the takeoff, land and "OnStar-like get-me-outta-here" buttons. Not even sure why they need a "land" command when the pre-programmed GPS destination should take care of that for you?

Got a friend who is at CES who stopped by to have a look. He says they are also claiming it is Thunder Storm Proof. Didn't explain what sort of FIKI technology is on it though :rolleyes:

On a serious note, it would seem to be an easier problem to solve to build a "self-flying plane" than to build a self-driving car. Less to hit up there, particularly pedestrians, and the landscape culture doesn't really change day to day (new road signs, crosswalks, construction zones and other things for the vehicle to identify, recognize and deal with on the same route it took yesterday).
Click to expand...
Sounds like a bad idea. Does no control mean they are going to program it to avoid all the other versions of it flying around, controlled airspace and all other aircraft. Every time a obstruction (construction crane) goes up, they would have to update the software, instead of the pilot reading a NOTAM and avoiding it.
 
Curious!! Want to feel that two button experience which will take off and land.:goofy:
 
Caramon13 said:
But you won't have 23 minutes of 62 mph time will you? It won't be 23 miles. It takes time to get to that speed you might get 15 miles out of it. The thing isn't leaving the ground at 62 mph. It's gotta takeoff, climb to altitude THEN it cruises.

And..62 mph is the max speed, wanna bet it flies at 45-55?
Click to expand...

I'll bet it's rated with a 100 lb. Person too. Put my 220 frame in there I bet it barely gets off the ground.:lol:
 
GRG55 said:
On a serious note, it would seem to be an easier problem to solve to build a "self-flying plane" than to build a self-driving car. Less to hit up there, particularly pedestrians, and the landscape culture doesn't really change day to day (new road signs, crosswalks, construction zones and other things for the vehicle to identify, recognize and deal with on the same route it took yesterday).
Click to expand...

One of the articles I read on it (can't find it now) mentioned that this thing isn't meant to be self-flying.

It's supposed to be remote controlled by their pilots on the ground using a video camera & sensors in the drone. I suppose you'll have to pay per trip for that.
 
deonb said:
One of the articles I read on it (can't find it now) mentioned that this thing isn't meant to be self-flying.

It's supposed to be remote controlled by their pilots on the ground using a video camera & sensors in the drone. I suppose you'll have to pay per trip for that.
Click to expand...

That's a deal-killer for me right there.

I always like my pilots to have as much to lose as I do.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top