Would you use an air taxi?
Asked by
JLeslie (
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April 30th, 2024
from iPhone
Over the last couple of years there have been several stories about air taxis coming to the state. Here is a video about it: https://youtu.be/qv2nxymDIpA?si=ZUiGL7pQ8fQtkAv9
I have no idea how much it will cost compared to a bus or rental car. It can’t go everywhere a car can go obviously, it needs to be able to land.
As a side note, FL also has the first US high speed train. It’s only high speed on part of the route. It currently goes between Miami and Orlando, arguments and negotiations are happening about it extending west through Orlando to Tampa.
With both the air taxi or train, the problem still exists that going to your own house or to a resort at Universal or Disney, the train or plane would drop off at a central point and then you still need to take more transportation to your final destination unless your Disney resort happens to have an air landing pad on the rooftop like a hospital can receive a helicopter. I don’t see that happened.
At the same time, flying over Orlando traffic to where I live an hour north instead of taking a shuttle or driving has some appeal. I would prefer the train come up here, but that won’t happen, even though we have tracks that probably could be refurbished. Not sure what happened with that and when.
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15 Answers
It really comes down to cost and convenience.
I live 33 miles from San Francisco Airport, and sometimes it can take over an hour to get to the long term parking, and another 15 minutes to get to the terminal. If an airtaxi can get me there in half an hour and I can leave my car at home, I would pay $100 each way,
I’d probably wait a bit to see if they were safe but certainly would consider it.
Time is money. Sometimes, a great part of a vacation is the journey to get there, other times, the most tedious, stressful and laborous part of a vacation is the journey to get there. If it was a vacation with a tough and tedious trip to get there, or a short trip where I wanted to save time, I would absolutely consider whatever it would take in order to save time. If the cost were prohibitive, I would have to consider that on a case by case basis, and see if the cost outweighed the saving of stress and time.
Only if they were as tightly regulated as commercial passenger aviation, with a decades long safety record, and not built by Boeing.
And even then only for novelty. Otherwise I will take the bus/train/tram.
I mean, it’s hilarious to me that they act like that’s not a different propulsion system for what’s essentially a helicopter, which has existed for 100 years.
Looks like it might be able to be lighter, so less downwash messing everything up around it?
I expect the computer control on the many smaller propellers would also tend to make it easier to fly, and so hopefully eventually less dangerous.
But until it’s been used enough that there are very believable safety statistics, including data on safety as they wear out from long use, I think I’ll most likely pass on riding in one.
I do like that they’re using electric power rather than aviation fuel.
I’ve used one when on vacations like in Belize to Ambergris Caye it was water taxi or air taxi. We used airtaxi to the airstrip on the island.
Only if piloted by AI. I don’t trust humans enough.
Nope, not if it’s anything like flying in a helicopter.
If I had anywhere to go quickly, and if they offered them here.
So far it’s not a choice.
They’re battery powered so have limited air time. I wouldn’t get into one that relies only on the propellers to keep it flying (in case the battery runs out). Ones with wings at least have some glide capability.
We called them island jumpers and yes we sometimes used them. I prefer boats to those scary water planes.
“Puddle jumpers,” is what they called them in the Caribbean.
Some of those aircraft, are barely functional.
I highly doubt that I will ever use air-taxis. No fucking way.
@Jeruba It was a Saturday morning I was at Tommy’s (i was in 7th grade), he lived a half mile from my house. His dad asked my if I wanted to go to his work with Tommy for lunch.. I went home and told my mom I was going to have lunch with Tommy at his father’s work. . . . . Tommy’s dad was a test pilot for Bell Helicopters, after lunch we went for a half hour trip in a ‘bubble top” Bell Helicopter.
Often I’m an early-adopter when it comes to new tech. Not when it comes to test-piloting autonomous flying drones though…I’m going to be like those guys who were the last ones to start trusting elevators and microwaves.
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