Florida’s latest bid to turn traffic jams into scenic detours comes with propellers, batteries and a cautiously enthusiastic governor.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue have announced a plan to host a test site for electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft at the SunTrax facility in Polk County — essentially a real-life audition for flying cabs with frequent flyer miles that smell faintly of start-up optimism.
DeSantis said he was “mildly excited” about the effort to reduce congestion along the I-4 corridor, and Perdue — who has been the industry’s cheerleader for years — called the push a way to get industry players their precious “speed to market.”
Let’s unpack that without getting airborne.
The test bed will include two vertiports (yes, vertiports — landing pads that get to sound like airports wearing skinny jeans).
If federal regulators give the thumbs-up, VTOLs would operate short hops of roughly 60 miles or less, ferrying folks between nearby urban centers like commuters who decided elevators were just too mainstream.
“It’s not going to go from Miami to Jacksonville or Miami to Pensacola,” DeSantis clarified. “It’s really within that 60 miles. And in areas where there is traffic, where you want to get from maybe one urban center to the next, it makes a lot of sense.”
Perdue’s sales pitch is equal parts earnest infrastructure planning and sci-fi reference.
“How can we support the private sector being successful? Speed to market,” he told listeners, adding in a wink to pop culture and the House Economic Infrastructure Subcommittee, “So, you can think about movies that you’ve seen that are science fiction. The Jetsons, yeah, is one of those … that’s a classic. This is actually becoming a reality.”
If the Jetsons had a business model, it would probably include venture capital and a paper towel dispenser for the inevitable tech-jet spills.
Why Polk County?
SunTrax sits in Central Florida and already plays host to testing lanes and automotive R&D — in short, a place where fast prototypes and slower roadways coexist peacefully.
The idea is to make SunTrax the place where startups can demonstrate vertiport tech, battery swaps, and the art of politely asking a passenger not to scream during ascent.
The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority is reportedly eyeing its own vertiport at Orlando International, which sounds like an optimistic plan for people who enjoy both airport coffee and the possibility of arriving 15 minutes earlier than their GPS promised.
There are practicalities (and punchlines) to consider...
SB 1662 — the transportation package DeSantis signed after a tour of prototypes at the Paris Air Show — already requires the department to map out advanced air mobility plans.
The FAA has been nudging the industry along, updating vertiport guidance and launching pilot programs for air taxis.
But regulations, public acceptance, and the everyday logistics of putting take-off pads next to people’s morning commutes are not as simple as slapping a helipad sticker on a Walmart!
DeSantis promises this won’t be a billionaire-only toy: if the industry can scale and make it economical, he notes, “it would take some traffic off the roads.”
Translation: investors — perhaps “Wall Street guys” with a soft spot for futuristic transit — will be invited to the county fair to test the rides, wallets optional but encouraged.
If the economics work, short aerial commutes might morph from sci-fi gag to a commuter option — provided people are willing to pay a premium for a birds-eye view of the same traffic they used to stew in!
The satire writes itself: imagine rush-hour etiquette classes for boarding VTOLs, insurance policies that ask whether you screamed during takeoff, and new airport signage that reads: “Vertiport: No Suitcases, Please — This Is Not a Moving Walkway.”
But beyond the jokes, there’s a serious civic question: can Florida balance innovation with safety, oversight, and real community benefit??
DeSantis and Perdue are betting they can, starting in Polk County — and if the test flights go well, your next commute might come with a complimentary view and a slightly absurd sense of arrival.
Flying Cars & Traffic Jams in 3D: Orlando FL Takes to the Skies
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