The world’s first flying bike will go on sale in the U.K

Jun 19, 2013 03:17 PM EDT

Two British inventors have designed a flying bicycle called a paravelo, it will transform a normal bike into an easy-to-operate aircraft, and drivers require no license to ride or fly. The flying bike can soar to altitudes of 1,219 meters and can be folded down small enough in a store for sale.

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How does it work? The designers of the flying bicycle John Foden and Yanick Read explained that "At the heart of the design is a folding bicycle that tows a lightweight trailer carrying a powerful fan; the entire assembly is small and light enough to be carried into a house or office. In order to fly, the bike docks with its trailer, a flexible wing is unfurled and an electric starter fires up the biofuel-powered 172cc motor."

The flying bike will costs around $15,700, and the purchase and running costs of the paravelo are less than a brand new car or owning an aircraft. "If you have a thirst for adventure, but are without a storage space or bank balance large enough for a helicopter, then the paravelo is for you." Said Yannick Read.

The launch of the paravelo coincides with the start of Green Transport Week 2013.

Andrew Davis, the director at the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), said: "For generations the car has been considered king, but for many more journeys it appears it now plays second fiddle to the flying bicycle."

"The Wright brothers were former bicycle mechanics so there's a real connection between cycling and the birth of powered flight that's recaptured in the spirit of the paravelo." Said John Foden.