Advanced Air Mobility Modern Flying

What I Learned at Beta Technologies’ Media Day

Electric aircraft manufacturer brought select reporters to its Vermont facilities.

Wednesday, July 01, 2026 at 09:00 AM ET

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An optionally piloted variant of Beta Technologies’ electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) Alia A250 comes in for a landing during a formation flight. [Credit: Matthew Leighton]

Key Takeaways:

Beta Technologies' all-electric Alia CX300 features intuitive fly-by-wire controls, allowing a non-pilot author to easily take command during a test flight.
Beta offers both conventional takeoff (CX300) and vertical takeoff (A250) variants of the Alia, sharing 80 percent common components to streamline certification. The CX300 is targeted for certification next year, with the A250 following in 2028.
Despite the full certification timeline, Beta plans to begin "early commercial revenue operations" with pre-certified Alia aircraft, starting with cargo and potentially passengers, as early as September under an FAA pilot program.

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There are many active and former pilots who write and contribute content for FLYING. I am not one of them. Yet on June 3, I found myself at the controls of an all-electric aircraft.

The fly-by-wire controls of Beta Technologies’ Alia CX300 are intuitive enough that I—someone with zero flying experience—was able to take command from test pilot Chris “Pooter” Caputo for a few minutes without plummeting into Lake Champlain, next to the company’s facilities in Burlington, Vermont.

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.