REAL-WORLD JETSONS LAND IN THE BAY AREA WITH AMERICA’S FIRST FLYING CAR

Written By Eric Smith
The Soar Tour Flight team is led by Heather Chirtea, the nation's first female flying car pilot.

August 19, 2025 – Santa Cruz, CA

A team of pioneering pilots is flying across the country to showcase the future of personal flight. Their vehicle—the BlackFly, an all-electric flying car—will appear along the Santa Cruz coast before making a surprise landing at the Electrify Expo in Alameda, CA this weekend.

Electrify Expo is the nation’s largest electric vehicle show, featuring over 15,000 ride-and-drive demos of cars, trucks, scooters, motorcycles, and more. This year, the Flying Car will join the lineup as the first electric aircraft ever to be featured.

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."

Father/Daughter flying duo - John and Heather Chirtea - have been flying together for years. They are joined by smoke jumper Tim Lum, the most experienced eVTOL pilot in the nation with over 1050 flights.

Where to See the Flying Car

  • Thu, Aug 21 – Rodoni Farm Fresh Produce, Santa Cruz (Sunrise–Sunset)
    Flights between the farm stand and pumpkin patch will be going all day.

  • Sat–Sun, Aug 23–24 – Electrify Expo, Alameda
    Catch The Soar Tour on the exhibit midway alongside Ford, Tesla, GM, and more.

About the BlackFly Flying Car

The BlackFly is an ultralight eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft).  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 back yard.” Only 5 ultralight eVTOL aircraft have been delivered to consumers in America. 

Contacts

Pilot Interviews: Heather Chirtea – Flygirl9953@gmail.com | (802) 379-3000
Media Contact: Vikki McNab – vikki@getsofly.com | (802) 379-3000

The Soar Tour
Eric Smith