New Transportation Law Passed in Minnesota Includes Provisions for Flying Cars
REDMOND, Ore., May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Samson Sky Switchblade Flying Sports Car and the handful of other flying car designers world-wide received a boost recently when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law a bipartisan transportation bill package which among other things contains a provision for roadable aircraft, described as an airplane that can be driven to and from an airport or private landing strip.
The bill package includes regulations to allow roadable aircraft a clear method of state registration allowing their use on state roads and highways. As with any small aircraft, you are not allowed to take off from or land on public roads or other landing areas, unless you have declared an emergency, as is accepted under existing rules for aircraft. The new legislation basically specifies that drivers of roadable aircraft are required to adhere to the rules of the road while driving, the same as any other car, truck, bicycle or motorcycle.
Samson Sky's legislative analyst Russell Bousfield provided industry input to Minnesota's Senate Transportation and Public Safety Committee. "I'm happy that there was such a great show of support from the state legislature," stated Bousfield. "It was also great to see independent interest for using roadable aircraft for business and travel in Minnesota." Bousfield affirmed that Samson will continue to propose and support similar legislation across the U.S.
Minnesota is the second in the nation to pass such legislation, after New Hampshire's 2020 passage of the first-ever legislation for state registration of roadable aircraft. The bill was called, The "Jetson Bill". Samson Sky was one of three flying car companies who provided industry input to New Hampshire legislators. Other stakeholders included flying car companies Terrafugia (they have since moved US operations to China) and PAL-V, a Dutch company with a US office in New Hampshire. Two US companies (Samson Sky and Alef), and two European companies (Pal-V and Klein), are projected to start production in 2025.
Samson's flying sports car, which had its maiden flight in November, 2023, has a unique hybrid electric system, which uses unleaded auto gas rather than leaded aviation fuel. Owners can fuel up at any auto gas station. The Switchblade is the first truly practical flying car made for everyday use. It is reasonably priced and is high performance both driving and flying. The Switchblade's Skybrid™ hybrid electric drive system for flying cars sets the stage for future all-electric versions of what many have dubbed the world's most popular flying car, due to reservations received from over 50 countries around the world. This system has features found in no other vehicle on earth. Samson is currently offering reservations with no money down.
The Switchblade seats two, side-by-side, with room to store travel bags, and flies up to 500 miles on a single tank of gas. Imagine, you simply pull out from your garage, drive your street-legal Switchblade to a nearby municipal airport. Once there, you transform the vehicle from driving to flying mode, and fly to the airport closest to your destination, where you land, transform back to driving mode and drive the last few miles to your final destination.
For more information about the Switchblade and to follow its progress into production, visit: www.SamsonSky.com
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SOURCE Samson Sky
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