It's been nearly a decade since New Atlas checked in with Dezs?'s then-concept Streetwing flying car. Much has changed in the overall appearance, but the fundamentals have stayed the same: build a vehicle that can drive on public roads and fly in the most fun and economic way possible for people who actually want to go places.

A quick background on the Los Angeles, California-based inventor will tell you he's probably unlike anyone you've ever met before. Having personally met him several times in various places around the US, I'd liken him to the Hunter S. Thompson of rocket science and inventions – sans the schedule-1 shenanigans, of course.

His roles have included flight engineer of a C-141B in the US Air Force, X-Prize judge, crew chief for the Spirit of America land speed record car (nearly breaking the sound barrier on land), flying motorcycle pilot, musician, collaborator of the Mixman DM-2 that Mattel made famous ... Honestly, I could go on. An entire article could be written just listing his various cool jobs, remarkable accomplishments, and sheer "Holy moly, he did what?!" moments.

Oh yeah, and one more thing: he belongs to the Explorers Club. You know, the club whose members include Buzz Aldrin, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Jane Goodall, James Cameron, and even the real-life inspiration for Indiana Jones, Dr. Roy Chapman Andrews.

"The Porsche 911 of flying cars"

Dezs? envisions this to be the do-all machine for everything; either a single or two-seater configuration with an electric or fuel-powered drivetrain for day trips, long trips, or even racing. His motivation for creating it in the first place was his desire to travel the Pan-American Highway, which runs from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, roughly 20,000 miles (~32,000 km) down to Ushuaia, Argentina – but with one major hurdle right in the middle: the undrivable Darién Gap. It's a 60-mile (100-km) stretch of thick jungle and swampland with zero roads in northern Colombia. Ferries to ship your vehicles around the gap are the typical means of going around this no-man's land ... but what if you could simply convert your car into a plane and just fly over it?