Flying car in the Okanagan

An Okanagan businessman’s dream of soaring in a flying car over the valley is no longer a dream, it’s a reality: Ray Siebring owns a special car that can, well, fly.
The car, called the Maverick, is equipped with a propeller and has a parachute that can take it up, up and away. 

“Once the parachute has been deployed, we’re able to set it up in around five minutes and avoid lots of traffic,” Siebring said.
The Kelowna man admits he sometime thinks about using it on Highway 97.
“To be honest, I’ve been tempted when stuck in traffic on Harvey,” he jokingly said.
But the process is a bit more complicated: you need a private runway for the Maverick to take off from. And before you get too excited, Siebring says that flying the Maverick requires the driver to have a pilot’s license.
But Siebring says it’s a one-of-a-kind experience.
“We have a Subaru engine with 200 horsepower so we’re able to lift off and climb out at well over 200 feet per minute,” he said.
“It’s like going up a very fast elevator.”
Though it may look a little frightening, Siebring says it’s one of the safest forms of flight.
“If we had an engine out while we were in flight, we would settle down under the parachute. We already have our emergency deployed.”
Siebring says the Maverick is flown by its steering wheel.
“You turn the steering wheel right and you’re going to fly right. You turn the steering wheel left, you’re going to fly left. The throttle is what will help you climb. You give it more throttle, you climb up. If you reduce it, you descend,” he said.
The Maverick doesn’t come cheap though: the asking price is $96,000.
While Siebring is somewhat secretive about his plans for the Maverick, he says things are looking up.
“Don’t be surprised if you see a flying car above Kelowna shortly.”