Vertical Aerospace completes two-way piloted eVTOL transition flight

Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL) announced it completed a two-way piloted transition flight on April 14, 2026, becoming the first electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft company to achieve this milestone under civil aviation Design Organisation Approval regulatory oversight.

Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies conducted the flight, transitioning from vertical takeoff to wingborne cruise and back to vertical landing in one continuous flight. The company describes this as the second company globally to complete such a flight in a full-scale tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft.

The flight test occurred under oversight of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which is collaborating with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency toward Type Certification of Vertical's Valo aircraft. Testing is conducted under Vertical's Design Organisation Approval.

Vertical targets certification of its Valo aircraft in 2028, with entry into service expected shortly after. The company plans to build seven pre-production aircraft in the UK for compliance and verification testing. The certification approach is designed for transferability to other regulators including the Federal Aviation Administration, Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency, and Japan Civil Aviation Bureau.

The company has partnerships with American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines. Vertical reports approximately 1,500 pre-orders for the Valo aircraft across four continents.

The Valo aircraft is designed to fly up to 100 miles at speeds up to 150 mph with zero operating emissions. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant for increased range and mission flexibility.

The company's flight test program included four phases: tethered stabilized hover completed in September 2024, thrustborne flight completed in February 2025, wingborne flight completed in September 2025, and transition flight completed in April 2026.

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