Vertical Aerospace Test Flight Achieves Piloted Thrustborne Transition, a First Under the UK CAA

(London, U.K. & New York, U.S.A) Vertical Aerospace (NYSE: EVTL) announced today (April 6) that on April 2nd, its full-scale electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft achieved piloted thrustborne transition – a first for a piloted, full-scale eVTOL aircraft operating under the oversight of the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Image of the piloted thrustborne transition sequence flown at Vertical’s Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport on April 2, 2026 courtesy of Vertical Aerospace.

Today’s press release from Vertical notes that the U.K.’s CAA is working in close collaboration with the European Union Safety Agency (EASA) toward certification of Vertical’s electric aircraft, Valo.

Piloted thrustborne transition involves an aircraft taking off vertically – like a helicopter – and transition seamlessly into wing borne flight – like a fixed-wing aircraft, according to Vertical Aerospace.

The company describes the April 2nd feat 0 which was accomplished by Test Pilot Paul Stone at Vertical’s Flight Test Centre at Cotswold Airport – as the most significant milestone in Vertical’s ten-year history.

Today’s press release explains that the thrustborne transition flight represents the completion of the first half of the aircraft’s two-way transition sequence – which involves the aircraft taking off vertically, flying on the wing, and then decelerating to land vertically (without the need for a runway).

“This marks a turning point not just for Vertical Aerospace, but for the entire advanced air mobility industry,” said Vertical Aerospace CEO Stuart Simpson. “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.”