Joby Achieves Testing Landmark with Piloted Aircraft
Joby test pilot James “Buddy” Denham flying a fully transitioned Joby aircraft above the company’s facilities in Marina, California. Photo: Joby Aviation
Santa Cruz, CA – Joby Aviation’s Piloted Air Taxi Milestone is a Win for Aerospace — and for Santa Cruz
On April 22, 2025, Joby Aviation achieved a defining milestone in the future of air transportation: its electric air taxi completed a series of piloted transition flights—taking off vertically, cruising on fixed wings, and landing vertically again. Conducted at the company’s test facility in Marina, California, the flight marks the first time a company has routinely performed piloted transitions of an eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft. But while the aerospace world took notice, this moment holds special meaning for the Santa Cruz and greater Monterey Bay region.
Many Santa Cruz Works members remember when founder JoeBen Bevirt first presented his radical eVTOL concept nearly 15 years ago at a Santa Cruz Works New Tech Meetup. At the time, the idea of an electric air taxi sounded like science fiction. Yet when JoeBen ended his talk by saying he was hiring, half the crowd rushed the podium. That moment sparked a journey that is now reshaping the future of urban mobility—with roots deeply planted in our local innovation ecosystem.
The aircraft that achieved the milestone, designated N544JX, is part of Joby’s production line and combines the agility of a helicopter with the speed and efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft. It has already flown over 40,000 test miles, with hundreds of successful transitions and more than 100 piloted hover and low-speed flights.
Chief Test Pilot James “Buddy” Denham, a veteran with over 60 aircraft types under his belt, praised the aircraft’s seamless transition performance, calling it one of the most complex challenges in aerospace—now achieved with an intuitive user experience.
With certification flight testing on the horizon and pilot flights in Dubai scheduled for later this year, Joby is moving fast toward commercial air taxi operations. For Santa Cruz and the Monterey Bay, this is more than a milestone in aerospace—it’s a reminder that world-changing ideas can take flight from our own backyard.
What once seemed like an impossible dream is now a proven reality—born from vision, powered by engineering, and championed by a community that believed early.
Check out the awesome video they shared showing the process!
About Joby
Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE:JOBY) is a California-based transportation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing air taxi which it intends to operate as part of a fast, quiet, and convenient service in cities around the world. To learn more, visit www.jobyaviation.com.