Kitty Hawk Debuts the All-Electric Flyer Prototype

The Kitty Hawk Flyer prototype is not the flying car that Hollywood has been promising us. It's not even a flying car, despite people calling it that. It is, however, the first version of what promises to be an ultralight, all-electric recreational aircraft that people can fly over water in uncongested areas, and they won't even need a pilot's license to operate it.

It's also far from a finished product, but for people aching to hit the skies in their own "flying cars," the prototype means Kitty Hawk is one step closer to fulfilling its goal of delivering aircraft by the end of 2017. "We hope that this is more of an exciting concept than what most people have had in their minds about flying cars," Kitty Hawk aerospace engineer and test pilot Cameron Robertson told the New York Times. "This is not yet that product in terms of what we will say and what it can do, but I think it demonstrates a vision of the future."

Kitty Hawk became a hot topic when it was revealed that the company is backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, whose role with the company was originally quite mysterious. He was also vague about what consumers can expect from the finished Flyer, but he admitted to the Times his excitement to "one day soon" board his own Flyer for a "quick and easy personal flight."

According to the Flyer’s website, the price will be revealed later this year, and Kitty Hawk members will have “priority placement on the wait list,” as well as a $2,000 discount. Members will also have exclusive access to flight demonstrations and test flights throughout the year.

Cimeron Morrissey was one of the first test pilots for the Flyer prototype, as seen in additional footage.