Joby Logs eVTOL Aircraft Transition Flights with Pilots Onboard | Aviation International News

Joby Logs eVTOL Aircraft Transition Flights with Pilots Onboard

Test flights include full transition from vertical to horizontal cruise flight and back again

Joby pilot on board transition test flight with eVTOL aircraft — Joby’s chief test pilot, James “Buddy” Denham, was at the controls for the first pilot-on-board test flight with eVTOL aircraft that included a full transition from vertical to horizontal cruise flight before landing vertically. © Joby Aviation

By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor

April 29, 2025

Joby Aviation has completed several piloted test flights with its eVTOL aircraft prototype, covering full transition from vertical to cruise flight and back again. On April 29, the company reported that the first such flight happened a week ago on April 22 and that since then, multiple transition flights have been made with three different pilots at the controls.

According to the manufacturer, the start of piloted transition flight tests is an important milestone as it progresses towards type inspection authorization (TIA) flights that are required at the end of the FAA type certification process. Joby has reported that it is now around halfway through the fourth of five certification stages and, in February, indicated that it expects to begin TIA flight testing within the following 12 months.

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