MESA, AZ — A Flagstaff engineer's vision for the future of personal flight is on display this weekend in the Valley.
Jim Corning's invention is built like a larger-scale version of a drone, with four fans providing lift. He says it has a ceiling of 10,000 feet and a cruising speed of 60 to 80 miles per hour.
As far as flight time goes, he's tried to strike a balance between the extremes already available on the market.
"There's jet packs out there that can fly for five to 10 minutes before they run out of fuel," he said. "There's electric ultralights on the other extreme that are also very limited by battery capacity. We're aiming for a sweet spot between those two."
Corning says he and his team hope to begin hover tests by the end of the summer. Once ready, kits to build your own Fan Flyer will be in the $50,000 to $60,000 range.
He's brought his creation down from Flagstaff for the open house Saturday at Falcon Field. There you can see it at the Future of Flight pavillion and even sit in the pilot's seat. Admission is free, though canned food donations supporting the United Food Bank will be accepted.
If You Go
Falcon Field Open House
Falcon Field Park
4636 East Fighter Aces Drive, Mesa
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
