Photo courtesy Trek Aerospace Springtail EFV-4A during a free hover in October 2003

Wouldn't it be great if you could fly to school or the mall, instead of riding for what seems like forever in the family car? A Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) might one day make that happen.

Trek Aerospace is developing a PAV -- the Springtail Exoskeleton Flying Vehicle. It works something like the Harrier jet, lifting off vertically. But instead of jet propulsion, the Springtail uses ducted propellers to lift off the ground. The EFV-4B is the most recent model of a series of several prototypes.

After the pilot is strapped into this PAV, the engine will turn the overhead duct fans to provide enough thrust to propel you into the air. The Springtail EFV-4B is 8.3 feet high. For optimal maneuverability and safety, the pilot should be between 5 foot 4 inches and 6 foot 6 inches tall and weigh between 115 and 275 pounds.

Once airborne, you can zip over treetops at a top speed of 113 mph. The 12.3-gallon tank of gas will take you 184 miles before you need to gas up again. Average cruising speeds are around 94 mph. Because it can climb as high as 11,400 feet, there's the possibility that the Springtail would share its air space with other small aircraft. However, according to the folks at Trek Aerospace, it's ultimately meant to fly at an altitude of around 400 feet above ground level, moving around 90 mph. The compact size of the Springtail will allow it to land on an area roughly the size of two compact-car-sized parking spaces.