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Re:Lilium achieves first main wing transition for all-electr... by akira2501 on Sunday June 12, 2022 @01:00PM (#31716055)
Granted, this is a new type of transport.. but the current metrics on air flight safety do not support this idea. Take offs and landings are the most dangerous part of flight, and still account for planes being more dangerous _per trip_ than most other modes of transport.

Planning to create a plane that fills this space is planning to create a plane that suffers a lot of accidents for almost no real gain over current options.

Buses are incredibly safe. If you want better busses, build those instead. This obsession with floating to your destination above the ground does not seem wise or worthwhile.

Re:Lilium achieves first main wing transition for all-electr... by ghaff on Sunday June 12, 2022 @01:13PM (#31716187)
It's trivial to create a luxury "bus" in just about any form factor you want to from a full-size motor coach down to a limo. Presumably the economics don't work in most cases. Of course, if you're talking small municipal airports in the US, the vast majority of people living there, especially those who can afford somewhat upscale transportation, probably own a car.
Re:Lilium achieves first main wing transition for all-electr... by SoftTalker on Sunday June 12, 2022 @01:34PM (#31716417)
Yes. Most small towns don't even have bus service to the nearest hub airport, because economically it doesn't work. And there is no arrangement of costs that will work out to electric aircraft being cheaper to own and operate than a bus.
Re:Lilium achieves first main wing transition for all-electr... by freemint on Sunday June 12, 2022 @06:07PM (#31718736)
In a sufficiently river/sea/ /hill/valley rich environment it might work if one can save on infrastructure cost for extra expensive roads. This is not most of the world though.
Re:Lilium achieves first main wing transition for all-electr... by ghaff on Sunday June 12, 2022 @08:12PM (#31719501)
You already have bush planes in places like Alaska. A cheaper/better bush plane has probable merit but, as you say, that's not most places.