Vertical Aerospace has confirmed it has successfully conducted the first piloted flight of its VX4 aircraft prototype in open airspace.
The flight, which was pre-approved by the Civilian Aviation Authority (CAA) of the United Kingdom, took place in the third week of May 2025 in the vicinity of Cotswolds Airport (GBA), near Kemble, in the southwest of England.
This is the first ever piloted wingborne flight in Europe of a winged eVTOL aircraft in open airspace.
The landmark test flight had been the subject of public speculation, after spotters in the Kemble area posted pictures and footage online which appeared to show a VX4 aircraft flying in open airspace.
While the VX4 has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities, the test consisted only of a horizontal flight, with the VX4 taking off and landing like a conventional fixed-wing aircraft.
The completion of a piloted wingborne flight in open airspace represents the third stage of a methodical multi-stage program. In July 2024 Vertical Aerospace completed the first piloted tests, with the aircraft tethered to the ground by ropes. A few months later, in November 2024, it completed the first untethered pilot flight, which consisted of vertical takeoff and landing and low-speed maneuvers, within the grounds of Cotswolds Airport.
A piloted transition flight, in which the aircraft switches mid-air from vertical to horizontal flight, is expected by the second half of 2025.
