Joby is in the early stages of planning flights in its eVTOL aircraft prototype over San Francisco Bay. The company has confirmed reports in TechCrunch that it has filed an application with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission for special temporary authority to use specific radio frequencies to conduct the flight tests, each lasting around an hour and at 5,000 feet. It says it is also discussing the plan with other local and federal authorities, presumably including the FAA.
Earlier this month, Joby reported that it has added a second preproduction prototype to a flight-test program that has already logged more than 5,300 miles. This included a flight of just under 155 miles on a single electric charge, which the company claims is the longest flight yet by an eVTOL aircraft, although its rival Beta Technologies says that its fixed-wing Alia 250 prototype has flown 205 miles. Joby also recently reported a flight in which the aircraft achieved a top speed of 205 mph.
