Dutch company plans to fly a flying car around the world

Dutch company PAL-V will make a round-the-world trip in a flying car after successful tests.

PAL-V successfully tested a flying car prototype in 2012. Video: YouTube.

Mark Jennings-Bates, vice president of sales at PAL-V International BV, revealed his plans to be the first person to travel around the world in a flying car in an interview with Futurism at the World's Fair Nano festival held on September 16 in New York, USA.

Bates said he hoped the flight would start in San Francisco, California, and end somewhere nearby. While Bates piloted his company’s flying car, another pilot would accompany him in a second plane. With PAL-V filming the journey, they expected the flight to last about 90 days, although Bates was confident his team could complete it in 60.

The biggest challenge on this journey was keeping an eye on the fuel gauge. The PAL-V flying car, called Liberty, had a range of 800 miles in pilot mode and 300 miles in flight. Bates’s escort pilot had already pushed the limits of range while flying across Greenland on just enough gas.

The round-the-world trip would require the two of them to constantly calculate fuel levels, and this was one of the most stressful experiences according to Bates.

PAL-V is a Dutch company founded in 2001 with the goal of creating a road-friendly aircraft. The PAL-V team tore up the blueprints several times before finally coming up with a breakthrough in 2005. "We took two old products, combined them, and created a new vehicle that met current regulations," Bates said.

The “DVC tilt” technology allows for safe driving while also helping the vehicle maintain a high center of gravity and minimize its aerodynamic shape while flying. PAL-V combines this technology with a Gyroplane (the precursor to the helicopter) design chosen for its simplicity, safety in learning to fly, and ease of folding. This allows engineers to produce a vehicle that is safe for both the road and the air.

The first test flight of the PAL-V flying car model in 2012 was successful. Since then, PAL-V has continued to develop the commercial version and put it into production.

According to VNE