Beloved of science fiction writers for decades, the vision of the flying car transporting people to and from the office has remained distant from scientific reality. However, the NASA Personal Air Vehicle Challenge projects a future where helipads on rooftops are a common sight and traffic jams a distant memory.

The Agency's competition is designed not only to encourage research into the area of our future transport needs but was also designed to throw up some viable prototypes too. The program is known as the Personal Air Vehicle Challenge and the contributors should not be viewed as a collection of eccentrics throwing themselves off the end of piers with cardboard wings glued to their arms: on the contrary it was all taken very seriously, not least because there were substantial cash prizes on offer.

The extravaganza took place last year in early August at Sonoma Airport, California. A group of volunteers known as the CAFÉ Foundation oversaw proceedings. Four teams competed on the day and the CAFÉ Foundation evaluated the performances of the magnificent array of flying machines on display. They favoured low noise levels, good handling and fuel efficiency above all else. And of course they were looking for as horizontal a take off as possible.

Top honours went to the team who flew a modified Pipistrel Virus, a modified light aircraft. It's plain to see that this machine is not "car like" enough to be covered by conventional car insurance. And even if a flying car came into serial production the associated costs, of which motor insurance would just be one, would inevitably be higher. After all, the security implications would weigh heavily against the convenience and glamour of the conception. 11.3.2008

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