Samson Sky is set to introduce a pilot training program for Switchblade Flying Car customers.
Citing the increasingly large number of non-pilots who have reserved their Switchblade, a high-performance vehicle that both drives and flies, the company intends to use this program to help streamline the customer experience.
Samson has had extensive marketing surveys done of the regional traveler market in particular – people who take trips of 250-500 miles, for business or pleasure or both. There are an estimated 22 MM regional travelers in the U.S.
Samson CEO and Founder Sam Bousfield, said, “The survey results of regional travelers showed a remarkable level of interest in purchasing a flying car. Eighty percent of those expressing interest were non-pilots.
“Based on these survey numbers, if we produced thousands of vehicles a year, we might not even scratch the surface of the demand we are seeing for a vehicle such as the Switchblade.”
The company emphasized that the program is not exclusively for Switchblade owners, and non customers will also be able to take advantage of the program to earn their ‘wings’.
Reservations Manager, Martha Hall Bousfield added, “Over the years, countless people have said that if we produce the Switchblade, they will get their pilot’s license, telling me, ‘I’ve been dreaming of having a flying car my whole life and I am not missing out.’”
Lending further insight to the subject of learning to fly, Samson Sky R&D Chief, Michael Maxwell, a pilot for over 50 years, former champion glider plane racer and glider pilot instructor added, “Flying is in my DNA. And as an instructor, there’s nothing like seeing a student pilot experience the freedom of flying.”
Company officials stated that while some people have the idea that getting a pilot’s license can act as a barrier to entry in the aviation industry, history tells the opposite. Cited as an example, after an airline pilot shortage was predicted, many people saw this as a perfect opportunity to pursue a new career, and the number of U.S. student pilots tripled over five years, reaching nearly 320,000 by 2023.
For pilot training, the company plans to collaborate with established flight schools while simultaneously laying the foundation for its own training infrastructure. “One key portion of our program is the use of advanced flight simulators where students can master each new maneuver before going up in the air,” said Bousfield, hinting at significant groundwork already underway. “As always, we’re thinking big,” he said.
The Switchblade Flying Sports Car is a highway capable, hybrid electric vehicle. The vehicle can be parked in a garage and driven from there to a nearby airport, using highways and local roads. Once there, the wings swing out and the tail extends in under three minutes.
The registered aircraft is flown to the nearest airport, then is landed, transformed back to driving mode, the wings and tail fully enclosed and protected, and driven the last few miles to the destination.
