Google’s Larry Page is backing the new BlackFly personal flying machine and it looks unreal

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

What is it about billionaires and reaching for the stars or at least the skies? Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has Blue Origin, while Richard Branson has Virgin Galactic. Now, Google’s Larry Page has backed his second flying vehicle startup. Although Canada’s Opener doesn’t promise a trip to space like the other ones, it does offer something much closer to becoming a reality, according to Business Insider.

Opener’s BlackFly is a one-seat electric flying vehicle that can travel 25 miles at a cruising speed of 62 miles per hour. Operated by a joystick, BlackFly doesn’t require a formal piloting license to fly. With eight motors, the vehicle is fully amphibious, although it’s best to take off from grassy ground.

Take a look:

Opener, which recently came out of stealth mode, says it spent nine years to develop and test BlackFly and over that period had 1,400 flights across 12,000 miles.

As for BlackFly’s cost to the public and availability, things remain firmly up in the air.

During tests, Opener has worked with Canada’s transport authorities, which means BlackFly vehicles could someday integrate with the country’s public transport network. In turn, regulators have approved BlackFly as a “basic ultralight aircraft.” When the vehicle does arrive on the market, the early models could prove as expensive as an SUV, according to the BBC.

As for Larry Page, it’s hasn’t been announced just how much the Google co-founder has put into Opener. He also put money in Kitty Hawk, a company that also hopes to place individuals in the sky one at a time.

Would you consider buying a personal flying device like BlackFly? How much would you be willing to spend?

See also:

• A team at the University of Tokyo has created a flying dragon drone
• A Facebook bug unblocked people users had previously blocked on the social site
• China’s new laser-powered rifle can set you on fire from half a mile away

Bryan M. Wolfe

Bryan considers himself a well-rounded techie, having written articles for MakeUseOf, KnowTechie, AppAdvice, iDownload Blog. When he's not writing, he's being a single dad and rooting for his alma mater, Penn State, or cheering on the Patriots.