Pilots always complain about the price of fuel–but if they could buy avgas for $1 a gallon, would that really change their flying habits? That was the question the owners of Redbird Skyport, in San Marcos, Texas, set out to answer in October. Sales soared to 30 times normal, their staff wore down, and the supply chain started to suffer hiccups. They ended the experiment two weeks early, after collecting reams of data from pilot questionnaires and selling 90,000 gallons of fuel.
Aeromobil, a Slovakian company that has been working on a flying-car design since the 1990s, flew its prototype for the first time, in October. The online video shows a somewhat shaky takeoff and a low pass above the runway, but also reveals a sleek auto design that can maneuver nimbly in and out of normal parking spots. The airplane that flew is the third-generation prototype. It burns mogas in a 100 hp Rotax 912 engine and, in its airplane configuration, has a top speed of 124 mph and a range of 430 miles. The wings fold and unfold with the touch of a button from the cockpit.
