Joby Achieves Landmark Crewed eVTOL Transition Flight

Manufacturer becomes the first to achieve crewed transition using a tilt-propeller eVTOL prototype.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 09:34 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

Joby test pilot James ‘Buddy’ Denham completes a transition flight of Joby’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi at the firm’s flight test facility in California. [Courtesy: Joby Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Joby Aviation successfully completed the first-ever crewed transition flights with its full-scale, tilt-propeller eVTOL prototype, a significant industry milestone.
This achievement validates the aircraft's ability to seamlessly transition from vertical takeoff and hover to forward, wingborne flight using the same six propellers.
The successful crewed flights are critical for demonstrating the technology's readiness for commercial air taxi services, with U.S. entry planned for 2025 in partnership with Delta Air Lines, and for initiating FAA type inspection authorization (TIA) flight testing.
Joby's tilt-propeller design distinguishes its crewed transition from competitors' eVTOLs, which previously achieved similar feats using lift-plus-cruise designs.

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Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi developer Joby Aviation this month achieved something no manufacturer has before.

The company on Tuesday said it recently completed a series of crewed transition flights with its full-scale eVTOL prototype at its flight test facility in Marina, California. The transition from vertical liftoff and hover to forward flight is an essential feature of the aircraft, which takes off vertically like a helicopter but uses both a fixed wing and propellers for cruise. It is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers at up to 200 mph (174 knots) on short trips within cities such as New York and Dubai. U.S. entry into service is planned for 2025 in partnership with Delta Air Lines.