The allure of flying an airplane is that, to state the obvious, it goes into the air. Hovering? Not so much. The point of hovering eludes us. If you want to go very fast on or near the surface, get a motorcycle. They’re cheap, legal and easy enough to ride. While hovering craft have long had an exotic appeal, in reality, almost no one wants to hover, nor should they. Very sensibly, they either want to drive or fly. Low-altitude forward motion in the cushion of the air is expensive and inefficient. Its main benefit is that crashing is less catastrophic. More on that in Part 6, Safety.
3. Who wants to hover, anyway?
Key Takeaways:
- The article argues that the primary appeal of aircraft is flight, rendering hovering largely pointless and inefficient.
- Hovering craft are deemed an expensive and inefficient mode of low-altitude travel, despite their exotic appeal.
- For fast surface travel, alternatives like motorcycles are presented as superior, being cheaper, legal, and easier.
- The sole stated benefit of hovering is that crashes are less catastrophic.
See a mistake? Contact us.
