Come Fly With Me! French musician Jean-Michel Jarre becomes the world’s first passenger to take off in the futuristic flying ‘AirCar’ that can transform from a road vehicle into an aircraft in 90 seconds

Imagine driving a car before it gradually starts to rise into the air.

If this reminds you of the finale of ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, rest assured that flying cars are no longer a thing of the big screen.

A company called KleinVision has even completed the first passenger flight of its flying AirCar – with none other than French musician Jean-Michel Jarre on board.

While in the quirky hybrid vehicle, Jarre and a pilot traveled about two miles in the space of ten minutes through Slovakia’s Piešťany Airport on April 12.

The two-seater – which could enter British airspace as soon as 2026 – can release its retractable wings in just 90 seconds as it prepares for take-off.

AirCar can fly through the air at a speed of just over 300 km/h, although this top speed was not reached during this latest test flight.

It first flew in 2020 and operated a 35-minute flight between Nitra and Bratislava airports in 2021, although this is the first time it has carried a passenger.

Jean-Michel Jarre, a pioneer in the electronic and ambient music genres, described the experience as being like being in a “Jules Verne book.”

The 19th century novelist is known for works of science fiction, including “Around the World in Eighty Days” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth.”

“One minute you’re talking to the driver and the next minute you’re sitting there in the air – an amazing experience,” Jarre said.

AirCar, which has a 160 hp solid-propeller engine, is the brainchild of Professor Stefan Klein, founder and CEO of KleinVision, based in Nitra, Slovakia.

The company said the latest flight marked a “momentous step toward a future where land and air traffic come together seamlessly.”

“From dreams to reality, we took flight together with Jean-Michel and opened a new era of transport with a touch of magic,” added Professor Klein.

As of this month, AirCar has completed more than 520 takeoffs and 130 flight hours.

It is equipped with a BMW engine, runs on regular pump gas fuel and can carry two people to a maximum altitude of 18,000 feet thanks to the propeller between the fuselage and the tail.

At the touch of a button, the pilot can deploy and release two wings in 90 seconds in preparation for takeoff.

These are safely folded and stored in the body of the vehicle when it lands when it has reached its destination.

A spokesperson for KleinVision said AirCar will start from £400,000 ($500,000) depending on specifications, although this could include an intensive pilot course for customers that would last 2-3 months.

It could hit the market in Britain in 2026 – in line with government expectations.

If so, AirCar will be suitable for leisure travel or as a commercial taxi service, the developers say.

The widespread adoption of flying vehicles will utilize space in the sky and reduce road congestion.

And just like the electric car revolution happening on the ground, most flying taxis will be electric, meaning they won’t emit toxic pollutants.

In its home country of Slovakia, AirCar received its certificate of airworthiness in January 2022, allowing commercial passengers and opening the door to mass production of the vehicle.

Earlier this year it was announced that the technology had been sold to Hebei Jianxin Flying Car Technology Company for an undisclosed amount.

This licensing agreement grants the Chinese company exclusive rights to produce and distribute the car within a ‘specific’ – but undisclosed – geographic region.

According to Morgan Stanley, the global flying car market is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2040, before rising to a whopping $9 trillion by 2050.

China is on track to have a 23 percent market share by 2050, after the US share of 27 percent.