AMERICA’S FIRST FLYING CAR LANDS IN SAN DIEGO TO START THE NEW YEAR!

Dec 29

December 29, 2025 – San Diego, CA - The future of transportation has arrived — not in the pages of science fiction, but in the skies over America. A small group of pioneers are piloting the nation’s first coast-to-coast flying car tour, The Soar Tour, giving the public a rare chance to witness history in motion and see the nation’s first flying car on its maiden journey. Their vehicle—the BlackFly, an all-electric flying car—will make a surprise landing at the San Diego International Auto Show at the San Diego Convention Center, January 1-4.

Heather Chirtea, the nation’s first female flying car owner / pilot, will be keynote speaking from the show floor at the open and close of the show. The flying car will join the lineup as the first ever aircraft to be featured at the car show and everyone is invited to come sit in the cockpit as the pilots tell stories and demonstrate how to fly the joystick controls.

The Pilots

Five pilots are touring the nation under the banner of The Soar Tour. According to Heather Chirtea, the nation's first female consumer flying car pilot, "I will be the first person to cross the nation in a flying car. Right now the range of the flying car is only 20 miles on a single charge, but the battery life keeps getting longer. Eventually the range will be big enough to go coast-to-coast." She is joined by smoke jumper Tim Lum, the most experienced all-electric, vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) pilot in the nation with over 1,200 flights.

Speaking Schedule

Chirtea will be doing talks each day in booth #720 next to Electric Avenue and the test track:

January 1 at 11:00AM Opening Keynote: Flying Cars are here! - Pioneering the nation’s first flying car
January 1-4 12:00PM Daily - Flying car tech talk - Features and functions
January 1-4 3:00PM Daily - Lessons from the sky - Flying car Q & A
January 4 at 4:00PM - Closing Keynote: The future! - What does the future look like? Pioneering a new era

About the Flying Car

At the heart of the tour is the BlackFly, an eVTOL aircraft designed for everyday people. Unlike traditional planes, the BlackFly doesn’t require a pilot’s license to fly. Tim Lum shared, “It takes off literally straight up in the air at an 80 degree angle, requires no runway, no driver's license, and can land on any patch of grass in your very own backyard.” Only a handful of eVTOL aircraft have been delivered to consumers in America and The Soar Tour flies two of them. If you can drive a car and handle a video game joystick, you have the basic skills necessary to tackle the 2-week training program and learn to fly.

About the San Diego International Auto Show

The New Car Dealers Association presents the San Diego International Auto Show - the second largest auto show in California and the highest-attended consumer event at the San Diego Convention Center. Manufacturers showcase their products, and attendees will have a fantastic day at the test drive track trying out new models.

Where to See the Flying Car

The San Diego International Auto Show takes place at the San Diego Convention Center, which is located at 111 W. Harbor Drive, Downtown San Diego, California. The Soar Tour will have the flying car is booth #720 by the test track. General Admission $18.

Show Hours: