Achievement unlocked: Vertical Aerospace completes piloted two-way eVTOL transition flight
April 16, 2026
The UK’s eVTOL contender, Vertical Aerospace, has completed a milestone two-way transition flight, marking significant progress towards certification of its aircraft.
The company revealed today that on 14 April, Chief Test Pilot Simon Davies completed a full two-way transition, taking off vertically like a helicopter, transitioning to wingborne cruise, then back to vertical for landing.
This makes Vertical Aerospace only the second eVTOL company in the world to have completed this manoeuvre, and the first in Europe.
Vertical’s eVTOL ticks off the full transition under regulatory oversight
Slowly but steadily, Vertical has been working towards its first piloted transition flight, having completed a one-way transition at the beginning of April.
Although Vertical is not the first to complete a two-way transition – Joby did that in April last year – it is the first to have completed this milestone under Design Organisation Approval (DOA) oversight with the UK CAA.
This means the flight was done within the certification framework, so that it actually counts towards getting the aircraft approved for flight.
Under CAA oversight and a DOA, every flight is properly instrumented and recorded, traceable and audited, and conducted in accordance with agreed certification plans. The regulator can use the data and results later on, rather than asking Vertical to redo the tests.
While other eVTOL manufacturers are working closely with regulators, including the FAA, Vertical is approaching its development with a certification-first mentality. Choosing to undertake test flights with regulatory scrutiny gives the company an extra layer of credibility and puts it somewhat further ahead in terms of bringing Valo to market.
“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,” explains Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical. “We’re not just participating in this industry – we are helping to define it.”
What’s next for Vertical Aerospace?
With a piloted transition under its belt, Vertical is looking ahead to the next stages of getting Valo certified. The aircraft Vertical is flying for these test flights is still its prototype, VX4, which is proving out the systems and technologies that will eventually power Valo.
Next for the company is the critical design review, which will see Valo’s design locked in. Next, the company will manufacture seven pre-production aircraft in the UK for testing with the CAA and EASA.
Ultimately, Vertical wants to have Valo certified and ready for entry into service by 2028, with the backing of rigorous certification that it sees as being easily transferable to other regulators.
Several of Vertical’s future customers, including American Airlines, GOL, Japan Airlines and Bristow, are not under CAA or EASA jurisdiction, so having a robust certification that is likely to be accepted by other regulators will be crucial.
As both an investor and long-term supporter of Vertical Aerospace, we share a clear ambition to make safe, scalable, and sustainable eVTOL flight a reality, and today’s news is a foundational step toward that end,” says Steve Johnson, Vice Chair and Chief Strategy Officer, American Airlines. “Together, we’re not just imagining the future of travel, we’re actively building it.”
Featured image: Gareth Iwan Jones / Vertical Aerospace
