Take to the skies in 2019 (hopefully) with Opener's BlackFly
It's electric, it's claimed to be autonomous, and it could land in your open field as early as 2019.
Opener is a startup that hopes to have its first product on sale next year.
Opener's first craft, called BlackFly, is pretty standard from a personal-air-transport standpoint.
It will be capable of vertical takeoffs and landings, operating entirely on electricity from a battery that can be recharged like an electric car.
The FAA classifies the BlackFly as an ultralight, which means users won't need a pilot's license to operate it.
As an ultralight, it will only be permitted to fly over uncongested terrain.
And with a max range of 25 miles at a max speed of 62 miles per hour in the US, it won't be much faster than a car across the same distance, if at all.
According to Opener's site, once BlackFly is on the ground, two small carts are required to move the craft around.
It will accommodate just a single passenger up to 6.5 feet tall and 250 pounds.
Eventually, Opener hopes that it can make personal VTOL craft that will be as affordable as a passenger car.
It has the backing of Google co-founder Larry Page.
While it's unclear how much investment Page has put into Opener, the company's FAQ page claims it's a "well-funded" startup that "will not be seeing new investors for the foreseeable future."
If you've always wanted to take to the skies without the pain of earning a pilot's license, BlackFly will be one way to do it.
Just make sure you have the space required to operate it.