Joby Aviation Inc. has expanded its flight test program to include a pilot onboard during tests of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
The Santa Cruz-based eVTOL aircraft developer announced Wednesday that four pilots have completed flights aboard the company’s pre-production prototype air taxi, which marks Joby’s first transition to crewed flight testing. The vast majority of Joby test flights have been piloted remotely, the company said.
The test flights, which took place at the company's Pilot Production Facility in Marina, allowed for Joby's flight team to gather data on the aircraft’s handling. According to Joby, (NYSE: JOBY) these flights lay the "groundwork for future ‘for credit’ testing as part of the company’s ongoing certification program with the Federal Aviation Administration."
"After completing more than 400 vertical take-offs and landings from the ground, it is a privilege to sit in the cockpit of our aircraft and experience first-hand the ease and intuitive nature of the design that the Joby team has developed," said James Denham, Joby’s chief test pilot, in a news release.
The announcement comes less than a week after the company said it delivered its first aircraft to the U.S. Air Force as part of a contract with the military branch six months ahead of schedule. This marked the first-ever eVTOL vehicle delivered to a customer.
The Air Force plans to use the eVTOL to transport cargo and passengers as part of its Agility Prime contract, which is valued at $131 million.
In September, Joby announced it would invest at least $477.5 million to build a production factory at Dayton International Airport in Ohio. The factory is expected to manufacture as many as 500 aircraft per year and bring close to 2,000 jobs to that area, the company said.
The company first received its permit from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin flight tests of the first production prototype of its aircraft in June.
In Silicon Valley, Joby is among four eVTOL developers testing their aircraft, and is the first to publicly state it has begun piloted flights. Archer Aviation Inc., Wisk Aero LLC and Alef Aeronautics Inc. have received, or are in the process of receiving, FAA test flight certifications. However, Wisk is aiming for its eVTOL to be entirely autonomous.
Joby, which was founded in 2009 by JoeBen Bevirt, went public in August 2021. Over its time on the New York Stock Exchange, Joby's stock has fallen nearly 42% and is trading at about $6.25 a share to give the company a $4.34 billion valuation. But the company has had a strong 2023, rising 83% in value.
