On Saturday, amid the backdrop of the iconic Mount Fuji, a new type of aircraft—the first new category the FAA has created in decades—made its debut flight in Japan.
Over the weekend, Joby Aviation, the manufacturer of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi designed for a pilot and as many as four passengers, flew its flagship model outside the U.S. for the first time at Toyota’s facility in Shizuoka. The exhibition follows Toyota’s recent cash injection of $500 million to help Joby develop, certify, and manufacture its air taxi, which takes off vertically like a helicopter but uses fixed wings for cruise.
