Archer Aviation completes its longest eVTOL flight to date with a human pilot onboard

Two months after beginning bona fide piloted flights in its flagship Midnight eVTOL aircraft, Archer Aviation reports its aerial technology has flown farther than ever. Archer says it has successfully completed its longest eVTOL flight to date with a pilot on board.

As you may already know, Archer ($ACHR) is easily one of the more prominent electric aviation developers we’ve been covering at Electrek for years. Archer kicked off summer with news that it had become the exclusive air taxi provider to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

In early June, Archer announced it had completed its first piloted flight in its Midnight eVTOL aircraft. During that flight, which took place in the skies above Salinas, California, the eVTOL achieved a top speed of 125 mph and a maximum altitude of 1,500 feet above ground level.

Most recently, Archer has taken its Midnight eVTOL above Salinas again, achieving its longest to date.

Archer Midnight eVTOL achieves longest flight yet

Per Archer, the recent successful flight in California lasted 31 minutes, and the piloted Midnight eVTOL traveled 55 miles—the company’s longest recorded flight yet with a pilot onboard. The flight tested the Midnight Aircraft’s Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) capabilities rather than Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) capabilities, although it is capable of both.

United Airlines CFO Mike Leskinen, who led the airline’s early investment in Archer Aviation, was present at the test facility to witness the milestone flight. Leskinen congratulated the Archer team on its longest eVTOL flight and expressed his satisfaction with the Midnight aircraft’s quiet operation. Archer founder and CEO Adam Goldstein also spoke to the milestone:

I was proud to be on the tarmac with the team for this flight. Crossing the 50-mile mark at speed is another clear step toward commercialization that shows the maturity of our program.

While the recent longest pilot eVTOL flight achieved speeds above 126 mph (on par with previous tests), Archer stated that in more recent tests, the Midnight reached aerial speeds nearing 150 mph over a “variety of patterns.”

Archer states that four of its test pilots are now regularly conducting Midnight test flights as the aviation company continues to inch toward FAA certification in the US and pending commercial flight operations in the United Arab Emirates.