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
Media Contact:
Gail Gallegos @ (916) 769-6979
(Mobile – call/txt)
378111@email4pr.com
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SOURCE Samson Sky