It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a flying car! Move over hot rods and luxury sport utility vehicles. The new must-have auto may soon be the one that can take flight.

At the end of the film “Back to the Future,” Doc returns to Marty’s home to warn him that something happens to Marty’s kids in the future. They enter the suped-up Delorean, and Marty says, “Doc,you better back up. We don’t have enough road to get up to 88.” Doc replies, “Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need any roads.” The car then hovers off the ground and blasts into the sky.

People have long dreamed about a car that can transition into flight. It may cut down on commuting times or alleviate traffic jams. And let’s face it, a flying car might be pretty fun to operate. Now those dreams are getting closer to reality.

The production prototype of the Transition (R) Street-Legal Airplane com -pleted its successful first flight at Plattsburgh International Airport in Plattsburgh, NY on March 23, 2012. The same vehicle has also successfully con -ducted initial drive and conversion testing,demonstrating the Transition’s capability to provide unmatched freedom, flexibility and fun in personal aviation.

Developed by Terrafugia, Inc., a grow-ing aerospace company founded by pilots

Vehicle/aircraft hybrid is poised to reach new heights

and engineers from MIT and supported bya world-class network of advisors and pri -vate investors, the Transition is a two-seat personal aircraft capable of driving on roads and highways, parking in a single car garage, and flying with unleaded auto -motive fuel. The prototype was unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April 2012. At a price tag of $279,000, it’s unlikely the skies will be crowded with them anytime soon, but the arrival of a car/plane hybrid shows promise for future travel.

“The successful first flight of this Production Prototype Transition (R) marks a critical move toward initial production and first delivery,” said Terrafugia COO Anna Mracek Dietrich. The company will con -tinue its testing program in preparation for first delivery, which includes meeting stringent automotive crash tests to meet federal standards. The aircraft is expected to be sold within the next year.

The Transition’s first flight reached an altitude of 1,400 feet above the ground and lasted eight minutes while staying in the vicinity of Plattsburgh International Airport. Six phases of flight testing are planned to continue development and demonstrate compliance to the Light Sport Aircraft standards.

The government has already allowed the use of special tires and glass on the craft that are lighter than normal auto -motive tires to make it easier for the vehi -cle to fly. It can travel 70 miles per hour on the road and 115 in the air. Terrafugia says an owner would need to pass a test and complete 20 hours of flying time to be able to fly the Transition.

Taking to the skies in personal aircraft could revolutionize how people travel.More information is available at www.ter - rafugia.com.

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14 Friday, October 26, 2012CITIZEN’S NEWS

If asked to describe a typical car

accident, many people would instantly

think of nighttime. But statistics from

the National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration indicate that less traf -

fic accidents occur at nighttime than

daytime, when there are more vehi -

cles on the road and more pedestrians

walking around.

Such statistics highlight the

emphasis drivers must place on

ensuring their vehicle is as safe during

the daytime as it is at night. One of the

most effective and easiest ways to

make a vehicle safer during the day is

to install daytime running lights, or

DRLs, on your vehicle. Studies have

shown that DRLs can reduce mul -

tiple-vehicle daytime crashes by as

much as 11 percent. Such lights are

essentially headlights that are lit

whenever a vehicle is running, and

they have proven especially effective

at preventing daytime head-on and

front-corner collisions by making it

easier for motorists to see a vehicle,

particularly as it approaches from far

away. Many countries, including

Canada and parts of Europe, now

require vehicles to operate with lights

on during the daytime.

As more and more motorists rec -

ognize the value of DRLs, the technol -

ogy associated with daytime running

lights continues to address previous

deficiencies. Whereas most daytime

running lights are still based off the

car’s headlamps, ultimately causing

the lamps to wear out too soon,

Philips LEDDaylight DRLs are based

on high-powered LUXEON (R) Rebel

LEDs, which project a powerful, bright

white light and boast a wider beam

than the average LEDDRL, making a

vehicle more visible to fellow motor -

ists as well as pedestrians. In addition,

the Daylight DRLs allow drivers to

switch from using their standard

headlights to an LEDlight source dur -

ing the daytime, extending the life of

the headlights while drawing less

Headlights make for safer driving, even during the day

power from the vehicle.

Auto enthusiasts have even noted

the aesthetic appeal of the DayLight

DRLs, which can be easily installed to

instantly provide a stylish look that

was once exclusive to expensive, high-

end luxury vehicles.

In addition to installing daytime

running lights, drivers can take addi -

tional steps to improve their visibility

during the daytime hours.

• Inspect signal lamps. Check all

turn and stop lamps to make sure the

bulbs are working and the lamps are

not cracked.

• Routinely inspect and replace

worn out wiper blades. Wiper blades

need to be changed every season or

on 3 month intervals. The rubber

blade gets brittle and does not work

well, robbing drivers of needed visi -

bility when it rains or snows.

• Top off windshield washer fluid.

Make topping off your windshield

washer fluid part of your routine vehi -

cle maintenance so you know you will

have it when you need to clean the

windshield.

• Clean interior glass and mirrors.

Clean the vehicle’s interior glass to

remove any film buildup that can

reduce vision and create a hazy reflec -

tion from the sun. For smokers that

film can be even thicker.

• Check your mirrors. Keep rear -

view and side mirrors clean and

adjust them properly so you can see

all of the views around the back of

your car, especially the blind spots

along both sides of the vehicle. This

will help you to change lanes and

make turns with more confidence and

less stress.

• Avoid decorative interior acces -

sories. Don’t hang trinkets, fuzzy dice

and other items from the rearview

mirror, as these can become a distrac -

tion and possibly prevent you from

seeing fellow motorists.

More information from Philips is

available at www.daylight-led.com.

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CITIZEN’S NEWSFriday, October 26, 2012 15