Aircraft
Beta Achieves Piloted eVTOL Aircraft Transition Flights
Alia 250 eVTOL prototype aircraft achieves key transition from hover to cruise flight
Beta Technologies' Alia 250 eVTOL flies across a partly cloudy sky
Beta's Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft achieved its first transition flights in April 2024 at Plattsburgh International Airport in New York, with test pilot Nate Moyer at the helm. © Beta Technologies Alia 250 eVTOL transition flight in April 2024

Beta Technologies has achieved the first piloted transition flights with a prototype of its Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft, the Vermont-based aircraft developer announced today. A successful transition flight marks a significant milestone in the development of any eVTOL aircraft, demonstrating the core capabilities of vertical lift and horizontal cruise in combination. 

With Beta test pilot and former U.S. Air Force test pilot Nate Moyer at the helm, the eVTOL prototype took off vertically from Beta’s flight testing facilities at Plattsburgh International Airport (KPBG) in upstate New York. Spinning its four vertical lift propellers and single rear pusher-propeller, the aircraft sped forward until it reached cruise speed, with the fixed wing providing all of the lift so the vertical propellers could power down.