Electric air taxi maker Joby Aviation focusing on next phase of flight test program
Joby Aviation, Inc., which is developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, announced Thursday that it has completed its pre-production flight test program and is focused now on the next phase of flight testing, when the company will use its production prototype aircraft to prepare for upcoming for-credit flight testing.
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Joby first began flying full-scale pre-production prototype aircraft more than four years ago, and its two pre-production aircraft subsequently completed more than 1,500 flights, over more than 33,000 miles. More than 100 of those flights were with a pilot, according to a prepared statement from the company.
The second pre-production aircraft also completed the first electric air taxi exhibition flights in New York City when it flew from the Manhattan Downtown Heliport over the Hudson River in November 2023.
“Over the course of this test program, our team has shown the world how real electric air taxis are, with tens of thousands of miles flown using today’s battery technology,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Joby founder and CEO. “Our pre-production aircraft were the second full-scale generation of Joby’s design, and their performance met or exceeded our predictions throughout the program, successfully achieving our targets for maximum range, speed, and a revolutionary acoustic footprint.”
Completing the test program allowed the company to proceed to ramp production with full confidence, the second of which rolled off the line at its production line in Marina, California, this week.
Bevirt said learnings from the flight test program have been invaluable to Joby’s certification program and to the broader development of regulatory frameworks around electric VTOL aircraft, validating the performance, safety, and acoustics of the aircraft’s design.”
In 2021, Joby demonstrated a flight of 154.6 statute miles on a single charge, including a vertical take-off and landing.
In 2022, Joby partnered with NASA to measure and confirm its aircraft’s revolutionary quiet acoustic footprint, which the company believes will barely be heard in cruise flight against the ambient environment of cities. Joby also demonstrated speeds exceeding 200 mph and flight at altitudes exceeding 10,000 feet above mean sea level, the company said in the statement.
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In 2023, Joby expanded its flight test program to include flights with pilots, as well as completing the first-ever exhibition flight of an electric air taxi in New York City. Joby also trained four U.S. Air Force pilots to become the first Air Force personnel to fly an eVTOL aircraft through a full flight profile, including the transition from vertical to wingborne flight, as sole pilot-in-command.
And in 2024, in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration, Joby completed 31 pilot-on-board flights in two days, demonstrating the aircraft’s operational characteristics and precision landing capabilities.
James Denham, Joby chief test pilot, and the first person to fly onboard Joby’s full-scale prototype aircraft, said, “Over the past four years, we thoroughly tested and studied our aircraft in flight, from precision landing and outwash to human factors. We often flew multiple flights per day, demonstrating our ability to fly in a wide variety of weather and operational conditions. As a result, we have the most experienced and professional eVTOL flight test team in the world, and I’m proud to be a part of this program.”
Joby’s second pre-production prototype aircraft will be used for research and development on future aviation technologies.
Joby’s electric air taxi is designed to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph.
