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PAL-V: the first flying car
PAL-V answers a question that has remained unanswered until now, but one that everyone has surely asked themselves at some point.
PAL-V manages to answer a question that has remained unanswered until now, but everyone has probably asked themselves at some point: 'Why isn't there a car that can fly yet?' After its founding in 2008 by Robert Dingemanse and John Bakker and more than 100 engineers who worked on the world's very first flying car, gyrocopter and car in one, the company hopes that the first clients will be able to receive their PAL-V in 2024. In Time Ahead, MASTERS talks to commercial director Giordy Wammes. For 21 years, Giordy worked in the automotive industry and sold brands with wings in the logo such as Bentley, Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin, but they all missed one thing; none of them could fly...
If you could invent something that has already been invented in the past 50 years, what would it be?
“Exactly what we are doing today; a Flying Car. One vehicle with multiple options, fantastic.”
What was your first reaction when you heard about PAL-V?
”I first heard about PAL-V in 2017. At that moment I immediately thought: 'That is the answer to a question that no one has been able to answer yet.' Henry Ford said 100 years ago that it is not the question of we will one day get flying cars, but wanneer we will get this. We will have completed certification for flying in 2024. This means that 2024 could be the year that our first customers will receive their PAL-V after a very long wait. We consciously chose to first start with the certification before we would show the PAL-V flying to the world. The certification process for an aircraft normally takes ten to twelve years. If anyone is interested in a PAL-V, it is also possible to get one Option To Purchase to confiscate."
What is the biggest milestone you have achieved with PAL-V so far?
“What I thought was one of the big milestones was the moment that the PAL-V was certified as an automobile. By achieving this official status as a car, you automatically give outside confidence to investors and potential customers, among others. If something doesn't exist yet, you often have a lot of skeptical people. In addition, technical progress is not visible, all people want to know is when they can fly. After obtaining the car's certification, we drove to London; There we were, refueling a flying car, at a normal gas station. The car attracted so much attention that it took an hour and a half before we could drive away again.”
What do you hope to have achieved in ten years?
“Putting a new form of mobility on the market is historic and also our goal. So I hope that in ten years we will have opened a new market and are still participating in it with new, innovative ideas. Once we complete EASA certification, we can quickly move on to others concepts that we have hidden in our treasure trove of development…”
“I hope that in ten years we will have opened a new market”
Who is your dream customer?
"The dream customer is that one flying enthusiast who I can take with me into the world of PAL-V; introduce you to really flying yourself. At our own Flight Academy at Breda Int. Airport teaches you how a gyrocopter works and what advantages it has over all other aircraft. You then obtain your own PPL (Private Pilot License) and can fly from home to the most beautiful destinations with your own PAL-V, but also drive.”
What will you take with you to the fair in December?
“During MASTERS EXPO we introduce the PAL-V to people who, just like us, are looking for unique experiences, adventure and innovation. As PAL-V we offer a vehicle to not only get from A to B faster, but also a vehicle that offers a unique experience. There is no product in the world that combines driving and flying in a vehicle. We will therefore be displaying two PAL-Vs at MASTERS EXPO. We will show one PAL-V in flight mode and unfold into a gyrocopter with rotor, chassis and tail. We also show a PAL-V in driving mode, so you can also see what it looks like when you drive around as a car. It is unique that we will exhibit two copies at the fair, because at least one PAL-V is actually used 24 hours a day for certification process en development. "
The fair focuses on craftsmanship, innovation and entrepreneurship. What do you hope the fair will bring you?
“After doing a lot of homework, we are now ready to take the next step: expanding the commercial structure and actively selling the PAL-V. MASTERS EXPO is the ideal partner to profile PAL-V when we take this step. There are many potential customers at MASTERS EXPO, both private and business. There are also many influential people with large networks who spread the news about what they saw with us.”
MASTERS EXPO
MASTERS EXPO is Europe's only exclusive business fair and focuses on craftsmanship, innovation and entrepreneurship. Approximately four hundred special (family) companies from almost twenty different sectors - from business to lifestyle, cars to design and watches to boats - will enter the exhibition floor from 8 to 12 December 2022 in RAI Amsterdam. Ticket sales for MASTERS EXPO 2022 have started. Purchase here your tickets.
