Joby Aviation said Wednesday it has begun flight testing its first FAA-conforming aircraft intended for Type Inspection Authorization (TIA). Initial flights are being conducted by the eVTOL manufacturer’s pilots at its test facility in Marina, California. FAA pilots are expected to conduct “for credit” TIA flight testing later this year as part of the certification process required before commercial operations.
The aircraft is the first in a group being built to support the TIA program and was assembled using components approved through FAA certification processes. Joby’s electric aircraft is designed with six rotors and is capable of vertical takeoff and landing while carrying a pilot and four passengers. The company said its developmental aircraft have accumulated more than 50,000 miles of test flights during earlier phases of the program.
“Seeing this aircraft fly means everything to our team. It’s the validation of years of hard work and marks our entry into the final phase of bringing this aircraft to market,” Didier Papadopoulos, president of aircraft OEM at Joby, said.
Joby also plans to conduct early operational flights in several U.S. states through the White House-backed eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) and continues to expand manufacturing capacity at facilities in California and Dayton, Ohio.
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