A mechanical engineer and a member of the family whose aerospace and transportation company builds trains, planes, and more, Bombardier’s at his best when he ignores pesky things like budgets, timelines, and contemporary physics. Since 2013, he’s run a blog cataloging more than 200 concepts, each a fantastic, farfetched new way for people to travel through land, air, water, and space. His ideas are out there, but it’s Bombardier’s sort of creative thinking that keeps us moving forward.

My take on the idea, the Jexet, would be the size of a small car, with room for one person. Five jet thrusters sitting under the fuselage, with fuel tanks built into the frame on opposing sides, would provide the power for vertical takeoffs and landings, plus horizontal flight.

An onboard system would help control and stabilize the Jexet in flight, but the human inside would need some training to fly the thing and understand aerodynamics and aviation regulations.

LED landing lights, built-in navigation, and an easy-to-read dashboard would make it easier to zip around. Backup thrusters, interior and exterior airbags, and a parachute could combine to keep everybody safe in case of problems.

Uber says it wants to help create a world of flying cars, but needs other players to make the technology happen. So maybe the Jexet has a place in the sky after all.

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