Can You Build A Personal Flying Machine?

Personal flying devices, from jetpacks to drones, have always captured the imagination of the world. A new competition aims to make flying devices for individuals a reality, and promises prize money of $2 million to the most innovative teams competing.

The GoFly Prize, a competition run by GoFly and sponsored by Boeing, will challenge inventors from all over the world to create a safe and easy-to-use personal flying device that can be used by anyone anywhere.

The devices must be capable of flying people 20 miles without refueling or recharging and have vertical or near-vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.

“There is perhaps no dream more universal than the dream of human flight. GoFly is going to make that dream a reality,” GoFly CEO Gwen Lighter said in a press release. “GoFly is a shift towards embracing innovative solutions to expand the desire to explore the unknown and push ourselves to new heights. Today we look to the sky and say ‘look at that plane fly,’ but two years from now we’ll look up and say ‘look at that person fly.’”
The prizes will be awarded in three phases. Ten $20k prizes will be awarded based on written specifications in Phase 1, four $50k prizes will be awarded for prototypes in Phase 2, and the grand prize winner will be unveiled after Phase 3. Experts from Boeing and other organizations will judge the final fly-off to decide a winner.

The contest is expected to draw the attention of hobbyists, inventors, and innovators from all over the world. The parameters of the contest are wide enough that many different types of device will likely be entered. Some may even draw inspiration from Richard Browning, who invented a suit similar to that of superhero Iron Man, and showed it off at a Ted Talk in Vancouver.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.