Flying Cars: The Infrastructure Needed for Future Cities

The Challenges of Urban Transportation

The frustration of being stuck in traffic is a common experience, with precious time lost during commutes. Equally troublesome is the difficulty of locating parking, or simply finding a secure location to disembark from a rideshare vehicle in a busy urban environment.

For emergency responders, these delays can have critical consequences. Many have likely looked upwards at congested roadways, wishing for a way to bypass the gridlock and reach destinations swiftly.

The Emergence of eVTOL Technology

The concept of flying cars is no longer science fiction; it is becoming a tangible possibility. The necessary aviation technology is already developed, and initial regulatory assessments are in progress within both the U.S. House and Senate to facilitate the introduction of eVTOLs – electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles – to the public.

However, a crucial element is currently missing: designated landing infrastructure. The potential of urban air mobility hinges on exceptional convenience – reducing a typical 90-minute airport journey to just 10 minutes.

The Need for Accessible Landing Locations

To achieve this, eVTOL landing sites must be readily available, comparable in accessibility to traditional taxi stands. Ideally, these locations should be within a short walking distance, or even a brief elevator ride, from workplaces and other key destinations.

While some buildings, particularly those on the periphery of cities, have incorporated heliports, helicopters present limitations. Their exposed rotors generate significant noise and pose safety risks in confined areas.

Limitations of Traditional Heliports

Consequently, heliports require placement on the outskirts of urban centers to address both safety and noise pollution concerns. They necessitate ample space for safe operation, a factor that restricts their integration into densely populated areas.

Here's a breakdown of the key differences:

• Helicopters: Noisy, require large landing areas, limited to perimeter locations.
• eVTOLs: Quieter, can operate in tighter spaces, potential for widespread urban integration.

The Current State of Urban Air Travel

With over 25 years as a helicopter pilot, I can attest that aerial transport within cities isn't a novel concept. However, the widespread adoption of commercial helicopter flights has been significantly hindered by factors like noise regulations, spatial limitations, and the stringent safety protocols required for operation.

Contemporary VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft demonstrate improved designs suited for frequent commercial applications. Despite these advancements, the issue of noise pollution remains largely unresolved. Critically, the inherent dangers linked to exposed moving parts and substantial wingspans haven’t been fully mitigated.

Furthermore, these VTOL designs necessitate considerably more space for both takeoff and landing procedures. This presents a major obstacle to practical intracity travel, demanding substantial investments in infrastructure – a point consistently emphasized by urban air mobility experts and researchers at NASA.

A New Approach to VTOL Design

An alternative pathway is being explored by engineers focused on creating highly maneuverable, compact VTOLs. These vehicles aim to combine the agility of a helicopter with the reduced size and enhanced safety profile – including internal machinery placement – of a standard automobile. These designs hold the greatest potential for validating the feasibility of VTOL technology.

Consider the scenario of an emergency medical response: an ambulance utilizing air travel to reach an accident site, landing within the confines of a single parking space adjacent to the incident, and rapidly transporting the injured individual to a hospital across the city.

The Future of Urban Air Mobility Infrastructure

Rather than replicating the airport model, the development of advanced air mobility should prioritize infrastructure resembling accessible metro hubs. These hubs would facilitate frequent departures and arrivals throughout the day. However, achieving this level of passenger throughput necessitates a large fleet of eVTOLs operating continuously, akin to a bustling train station.

Such a high volume of operations is only achievable if the majority of these eVTOLs are physically smaller than a typical passenger van. This size constraint is essential for scalability and practical implementation within urban environments.

Rethinking Urban Mobility: Beyond the Skyline

Future city infrastructure will undergo a significant transformation in the coming years. Urban centers will likely feature widespread vertiports, designed to handle various sizes and ranges of VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) aircraft.

However, realizing this vision demands proactive planning from city officials, engineers, and the public, all focused on embracing new transportation solutions.

The Overlooked Foundation: Ground Infrastructure

While much attention focuses on adapting the skyline for safe VTOL operations, the necessary street-level infrastructure is frequently underestimated.

Successful integration of VTOL technology hinges on careful consideration of the ground-based elements required to support these vehicles.

Designing for Coexistence

Cities must proactively assess the available spaces and potential use cases for VTOL aircraft.

Instead of solely focusing on vehicle development, a crucial question arises: how can we engineer a vehicle that seamlessly integrates into the existing urban landscape?

The goal should be to create a vehicle that harmoniously coexists with both the city’s inhabitants and its wildlife.

Ideally, this vehicle would operate with minimal noise pollution, making it a welcome addition even on residential rooftops.

A Compact Vision for Urban Air Mobility

The development of smaller eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft offers significant advantages. Not only does a reduced size enhance agility and improve safety within congested urban environments, but it also enables a greater density of vehicles, increased flight frequency, and ultimately, the transportation of more individuals daily at a lower cost.

Prior to constructing entirely new infrastructure, it is crucial to demonstrate the viability of urban air mobility utilizing existing resources. A deliberate approach is needed, aligning the technology with the infrastructure familiar to urban populations, rather than attempting to impose new requirements.

This necessitates the creation of an environmentally conscious VTOL capable of landing on conventional surfaces like helipads, piers, and parking areas, as well as within the footprint of a standard SUV.

However, size is not the sole consideration. Exploring alternative fuel options is paramount. While batteries represent one possibility, their inherent inefficiencies and the environmental consequences associated with their production, storage, and disposal present challenges.

The exploration of hydrogen as a fuel source by some VTOL developers is commendable, and further investment in hydrogen-powered aviation innovation is strongly encouraged. Given the substantial progress already being made in hydrogen-fueled airliners within the broader commercial aviation sector, VTOL developers are well-positioned to follow suit.

Ultimately, the initial focus should be on developing a highly efficient VTOL that can deliver the most substantial impact in the shortest timeframe, particularly in critical applications such as emergency services.

Demonstrating the life-improving potential of flying vehicles through essential use cases will not only provide immediate benefits but also facilitate public acceptance, infrastructure development, and the widespread commercialization of VTOL technology across all sizes and applications.

This approach will ultimately bring the long-held vision of the flying car to fruition.