Vertical Aerospace reports it has successfully completed a historic two-way piloted transition flight. On 14 April 2026, Vertical became the second company globally to complete a two-way piloted transition flight in a full-scale tiltrotor eVTOL and the first to do so under civil aviation Design Organisation Approval regulatory oversight, according to a company press release.
Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies completed the flight – transitioning from vertical take-off to wingborne cruise and back to vertical landing – all in one continuous flight. This builds on Vertical’s thrustborne transition on 2 April 2026 and marks the completion of two-way transition, the defining capability of eVTOL aviation, said the company.
“Put simply, this is what makes electric air taxis possible,” said Vertical. “Transition flight validates the technology which will enable Valo, Vertical’s commercial aircraft, to take off vertically from a city-centre vertiport or rooftop with passengers, fly efficiently at speed like an airplane, and land vertically at its destination – comfortably, quietly and without a runway. This unlocks planned real-world routes such as Canary Wharf to Heathrow or JFK to Manhattan, making them operationally and commercially viable.”
Stuart Simpson, CEO, Vertical Aerospace, said: “This is now the most significant technical milestone in our history. Full piloted transition is the most critical and complex challenge in eVTOL development, and we’ve achieved it under more rigorous regulatory oversight than anyone in the category. We’re not just participating in this industry – we are helping to define it. Our focus now is on executing our roadmap and bringing certified electric flight into commercial service.”
This milestone was achieved under the direct oversight of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who are working in close collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) toward Type Certification of Valo. Testing is conducted under Vertical’s Design Organisation Approval, a pre-requisite for entry into service.
“With all phases of flight now proven – vertical take-off, wingborne flight and transition between the two – Vertical is moving into the next stage of certification testing,” said the statement. “This will include critical design review, when the aircraft design is locked, followed by the build of seven pre-production Valo aircraft in the UK for compliance and verification testing with the CAA and EASA.
Vertical is targeting certification of Valo in 2028 to the highest safety standards in the category, with entry into service expected shortly thereafter. The certification approach is designed to be transferable to other regulators, including the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB), supporting global deployment with airline and operating partners including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL and Japan Airlines.
(Image: Vertical Aerospace)
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