Vertical Aerospace achieved a historic milestone on April 2, 2026, when test pilot Paul Stone flew the company's electric aircraft through a piloted thrustborne transition, taking off vertically like a helicopter and accelerating smoothly into fixed-wing flight. This marks the first time a piloted, full-scale eVTOL aircraft of this class has completed this maneuver under the oversight of the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) working with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The achievement represents the completion of the first half of the two-way transition sequence, a defining capability that unlocks point-to-point urban air mobility without requiring runways.

What Makes This Transition So Difficult?

The thrustborne transition is one of aviation's most complex engineering challenges. The aircraft must transfer lift from its propellers to its wings in real-world flight conditions at full scale. During the April 2 flight at Cotswold Airport, the Valo aircraft took off vertically before its front propellers tilted forward, enabling smooth acceleration into wingborne flight as the rear propellers stowed. The aircraft then landed conventionally on a runway. This seamless shift between two fundamentally different ways of generating lift has eluded most eVTOL developers.

The milestone comes after nearly two years of piloted flight testing under strict regulatory oversight. During this period, Vertical's aircraft has demonstrated all key phases of eVTOL flight, including hover, vertical takeoff, wingborne flight, and vertical landing. The company also achieved the first winged eVTOL flight in open European airspace and completed an airport-to-airport flight at the Royal International Air Tattoo.

"This marks a turning point not just for Vertical Aerospace, but for the entire advanced air mobility industry. Achieving piloted thrustborne transition under active regulatory oversight, alongside the recently announced financing package, demonstrates that we have solved the hardest engineering challenges, have the regulatory relationships to complete certification, and now have the financial foundation to see this through to commercial service," said Stuart Simpson, Chief Executive Officer at Vertical Aerospace.

Stuart Simpson, Chief Executive Officer at Vertical Aerospace

How Does Vertical's Flight Test Program Progress?

• Phase 1 (Tethered): Stabilized hover while tethered, completed in September 2024, establishing baseline aircraft stability and control systems.
• Phase 2 (Thrustborne): Vertical takeoff, landing, and low-speed maneuvers, completed in February 2025, proving the aircraft could operate in pure helicopter mode.
• Phase 3 (Wingborne): Conventional takeoff, flight, and landing, completed in September 2025, demonstrating fixed-wing flight capabilities.
• Phase 4 (Transition): Transitioning between thrustborne and wingborne flight, with thrustborne transition completed in April 2026 and two-way transition currently in progress.

Each expansion of the flight envelope is conducted under a strict Permit to Fly regime and contributes directly to the certification path for Valo, Vertical's commercial aircraft. Every test flight is supported by extensive structural testing, systems validation, simulator work, and detailed evidence submissions to regulators before progressing further.

"Completing this piloted transition milestone is a profound achievement and the result of years of engineering innovation and disciplined test execution. The aircraft performed exactly as designed, transitioning smoothly and under full control, proving the core elements of Vertical's distributed electric propulsion and tiltrotor technology at full scale, in real flight conditions," explained David King, Chief Engineer at Vertical Aerospace.

David King, Chief Engineer at Vertical Aerospace

What's Next for Commercial Operations?

Vertical announced an agreement in principle for a financing package of up to $850 million on March 30, 2026, providing immediate capital and access to additional flexible funding as the company progresses toward type certification and commercial operations. The Valo aircraft is designed to fly up to 100 miles at speeds of up to 150 miles per hour with zero operating emissions. Vertical is also developing a hybrid-electric variant to offer increased range and mission flexibility.

The company has approximately 1,500 pre-orders of Valo from customers across four continents, including American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow, GOL, and Japan Airlines. Vertical's leadership team comes from top-tier aerospace and automotive companies such as Rolls-Royce, Airbus, General Motors, and Leonardo, bringing experience from certifying and supporting over 30 different civil and military aircraft and propulsion systems.

"This aircraft was made to transition. From the moment the front propellers tilted and the aircraft began to accelerate, the response was exactly as the simulation predicted, smooth, stable, and fully under control throughout. What the engineering team has built here is genuinely extraordinary," noted Paul Stone, Test Pilot at Vertical Aerospace.

Paul Stone, Test Pilot at Vertical Aerospace

The thrustborne transition achievement signals that Vertical has cleared one of the most significant technical hurdles in eVTOL development. With regulatory oversight from both UK and European authorities, substantial financing secured, and a growing order book, the company is positioning itself as a frontrunner in the race to bring electric air taxis to commercial service. The next phase, two-way transition, will complete the full mission profile by demonstrating the aircraft's ability to decelerate from wingborne flight and land vertically, a capability essential for urban air mobility operations.