Have you ever watched a movie or read a book where you see something that isn’t real life? Where the world in the movie has space travel, time travel and robots taking over? This genre of entertainment is called science fiction. Science fiction imagines how new ideas or technology can affect life. Some imaginary technology is very real to us. Submarines, cell phones, computer tablets and credit cards were imagined a long time before they became part of our everyday lives. When Jules Verne wrote Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea people thought he was crazy. Another author wrote about cell phones in 1915. In 1906, 120 years ago, an author wrote about cars that could fly. What if you could push a button, and make your car lift off the ground, zoom into the sky and totally skip the traffic below?  That “someday” may be here this year. We may be seeing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles becoming reality very soon.

Companies are designing state of the art vehicles that can drive on roads one minute and fly through the air in a blink of an eye. Scientists say cars like Alef Aeronautics Model A are about to change travel forever. It looks like a futuristic sports car from a video game but it's real. The Model A uses electric propellers that are hidden inside its body. This car is designed to go about 1,000 feet high, but don’t worry it comes with a parachute in case something goes wrong.

Another exciting invention is the Joby Aviation air taxi. Most flying cars will drive on roads but the Joby air taxi is designed only for flying. It works like a small electric helicopter mixed with an airplane and it looks like a huge drone. Air taxis have already flown over major places like New York City. Experts believe air taxis will become something real in large cities very soon.  A trip that takes an hour now could take 10 minutes very soon. That would be the best Uber ever I think.

Flying cars could completely change the way people travel. Even though the future sounds exciting, there will also be challenges. Too many flying vehicles in one area could create “air traffic jams” if the skies are not carefully controlled. Weather such as storms, fog, or strong winds might ground flying cars at times. Governments could create strict rules about where vehicles could fly, how fast they could travel, and who would be allowed to pilot them.

What do you think about imaginary machines from movies and cartoons becoming real inventions? Engineers and inventors are working hard to turn science fiction into reality. Someday soon people will laugh at the idea that there was really a time when all cars had to stay on the ground.