Mountain View, California – Kitty Hawk Aero recently invited a select group of people with a background in flying and a love of extreme sports to come and learn to pilot the Beta version of its Flyer, which is not so much a flying car as a cross between a quad and a very big drone.
Kitty Hawk is one of two aircraft startups backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, and the version you see in this video is not only a working prototype (it actually flies!) but it’s also licensed in the United States as an ultralight aircraft for use in uncongested areas – that basically means over fresh water.
The controls are said to be very similar to an XBox console, and both invited guests featured in the video reached that magic moment when it all comes together and you can fly on sheer instinct and muscle memory, on only the second day of instruction.
And if their reaction is anything to go by, Kitty Hawk will have plenty of customers lined up for the production version when it goes on sale at the end of 2017.