Tag Archives: Orlando

Orlando planning to add flying car vertiport by 2028

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Flying cars could soon come to Orlando:

Photo by Guilherme Rossi on Pexels.com

The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority on Wednesday took steps toward that future by seeking partners to develop and operate a flying car landing pad — called a vertiport — at the airport. The invitation is expected to publish in March with a 2028 target for a finished product.

The airport expects to put the vertiport on land in the East Airfield region on the northeast side or land on the south side near the train station, according to a news release…

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, a member of the aviation authority, said the city is a global leader in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) — the technology behind flying cars — and having the hub at the airport makes sense…

He said vertiports may help manage the city’s growth, but that’s much farther off. He envisions starting with a four- to six-passenger vehicle operating out of the airport and eventually corridors for flying cars will follow. The small aircraft are expected to use electric power, and take off and land vertically.

Three thoughts on these plans:

  1. It sounds like Orlando wants to pursue this to contribute to its economic growth. It could become a leader in flying cars. How big of an industry could this be? Americans like cars, Americans dislike traffic…could this be a big growth industry in the coming decades?
  2. The connections between this and the numerous theme parks in the area are intriguing. Would visitors be willing to try these because this is an exciting place to visit? Could the flying cars be linked to Disney or Universal or other partners?
  3. Flying car corridors will be interesting to see. How will they work and where will they be? How visible will they be from the ground? Will they also have gridlock?

Flying cars could be cool but if they lead to similar problems plaguing cars at the moment – traffic, expensive to buy a vehicle and maintain it, etc. – it may not get off the ground.

When a major city’s tallest structure is a roller coaster

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Perhaps this could only happen in Orlando: the city’s tallest structure will soon be a roller coaster.

The Skyscraper aims to live up to its name. When construction of the roller coaster is completed in 2106, it will dominate Orlando’s skyline. At 570 feet, the Skyscraper will loom over the next tallest structure, the Suntrust Center—which is itself only a few dozen feet taller than the Orlando Eye, a 400-foot-tall Ferris wheel opening this spring.

Orlando appears to be one-upping other cities in the global race to build soaring structures that aren’t buildings. Where plenty of cities have built observation wheels (Orlando included), the Theme Park Capital of the World is looking to distinguish itself through a different kind of roller coaster, one whose footprint and height resemble, well, a skyscraper’s.

Developers released new plans last week for the Skyplex, a $300 million entertainment center that will anchored by the Skyscraper. The expanded plans include the Skyfall, a 450-foot tall drop ride (built into the Skyscraper structure) that will itself be taller than the tallest building in downtown Orlando.

Tall buildings may be functional but they are also intended to say something about the city: that it is has a certain level of success and sophistication. A skyline is meant to stand out and provide a lasting and permanent (though it is open to change, people don’t really consider losing major buildings from the skyline) image of a city. So, Orlando seems to be staking its claim to entertainment and amusement, to lasting screams and high speeds. And once you have this tall ride, how do you top it?