[GenXer]

it's cool and all but if your goal is to move people less than 500 miles, wouldn't an electric mag-lift train be much safer and more efficient? It's extremely fast, less complex than piloting an airplane plus no take off or landing. This is why the car/plane idea from the 50's didn't take off. A pilot has to constantly communicate with ATC, thoroughly understand weather condition and be able to navigate under VFR, IFR not to mention all the flight checks and the physical act of flying the plane. An electric plane isn't going to make flying more practical for the masses.

The only reason this might be useful is when you must travel from small island to island where it would be too expensive for the government to build bridges and connecting railways.