Larry Page-Backed Company Developing Concept That May Lead To A 'Flying Car'

About a month ago, Kitty Hawk, a company backed by Google Cofounder Larry Page, unveiled the prototype Kitty Hawk Flyer to the public.

The aircraft is essentially a multi-rotor copter capable of carrying one person ... and it looks like a lot of fun.

Now, the company has released a behind-the-scenes video to Business Insider and on YouTube of some of the early test flights of the aircraft. The tethered flights were conducted over water, with a ball on a line that stays submerged that prevents the aircraft from flying too high or too fast. But eventually, they were allowed to fly freely.

The lucky test pilots described the flights as ... well co-lead engineer Cameron Robertson told Business Insider that "we were blown away by how quickly flying became fun."

The Flyer is controlled using thumbsticks like those on popular video games. The right thumb controls tilt, and the left thumb controls altitude and heading. The onboard computers anticipate the pilot's intentions and translate them into smooth inputs. The goal, according to the engineers, is to make the Flyer as easy to operate as riding a bicycle.

And while it may lead to a "flying car", it would appear to have a lot of appeal for those who have become bored with their jet skis, kiteboards, or off-road vehicles. Kitty Hawk says on its Facebook page that its mission is "to make the dream of personal flight a reality. We believe when everyone has access to personal flight, a new, limitless world of opportunity will open up to them. At Kitty Hawk, we engineer, design and build safe, fun, easy-to-fly aircraft."

(Image from YouTube video)

FMI: Original Article, Video