House transportation panel ponders ground rules for flying cars

If we learned anything from “The Jetsons,” it’s that flying cars will be everywhere in less than 20 years. But it could be sooner because one company aims to have a drivable aircraft rolling off its assembly lines next year.

Owners would be able to go to their garage, hop in their plane, drive to the airport, expand the wings and take off. At the end of the day, the owner lands at the airport, folds back the wings, and drives home.

Rep. John Petersburg (R-Waseca) would like Minnesota to start getting ready for when these convertible aircraft start using public roads.  

He sponsors HF4350 that would establish some rules for driving airplanes on public roads – creating a path to ensure the vehicles are roadworthy, licensed and registered.

It was laid over Thursday by the House Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.  

One issue with vehicles designed to drive and fly is they fall under two sets of regulations.

“With those [two classifications] comes double the compliance requirements, double the fees, double the paperwork,” wrote Russell Bousfield, a legal analyst for Samson Sky, the Oregon company producing the vehicles.

The bill would define roadable aircraft and focus how they could operate on streets and highways.

There would be limits to wings and tails when the vehicle is on the ground. Roadable aircraft could only take off and land from airports, and it would be a misdemeanor to land on a public road except in an emergency. 

Rep. Larry Kraft (DFL-St. Louis Park) suggested widespread use of roadable aircraft should meet more speedbumps. He cited vehicle fuel use and urban sprawl as concerns that should be addressed before making it easier for aircraft to be driven around Minnesota.

Rep. Nolan West (R-Blaine), however, said state policy should encourage innovation, not make it wait for laws to catch up. “This is how we get to the future of flying cars, which sounds awesome to me.”