Beta Wins FAA Approval for Dual Control eVTOL Flight Training

Beta Technologies has received FAA authorization to begin dual-seat pilot training in its Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft, the Vermont-based aircraft developer announced Wednesday. The FAA letter of authorization (LOA) allows student pilots to operate Beta’s Alia 250 eVTOL aircraft, so long as they share the dual flight controls with one of Beta’s powered-lift test pilots.

Under the FAA’s proposed special federal aviation regulations for powered-lift pilots, this sort of hands-on flight training is only permitted in aircraft with dual flight controls. However, the FAA is considering an exception to that 86-year-old flight training rule as it faces industry pressure—particularly from eVTOL aircraft developers who did not build dual controls into their designs.

Dual flight controls will be the default configuration for both versions of the six-seat electric aircraft it is offering for passenger or cargo transport applications, "unless the operator is planning to operate single-seat—in which case, we’ll sell them a single seat, with provisions for a dual seat," a company spokesperson told AIN.   

Although several non-Beta pilots have had the opportunity to fly a conventional fixed-wing version of the company’s all-electric aircraft, called the CX300, the Alia 250 eVTOL prototype has only flown with Beta test pilots at the helm. The company employs a cadre of eight powered-lift test pilots who are now authorized to train others on the eVTOL aircraft. Those who have flown the fixed-wing model so far include pilots from the FAA and the military, as well as Beta customers UPS, United Therapeutics, and Bristow.

According to Beta, the FAA conducted a thorough evaluation of the company’s training practices before granting the LOA for eVTOL flight training. This involved an extensive review of the ground, simulation, and flight training procedures Beta has been using to train its own test pilot cadre. The company said the LOA enables it to begin training the FAA aviation safety inspector and other FAA personnel responsible for certifying the aircraft.

Beta's spokesperson told AIN that the company has already begun eVTOL pilot training at its headquarters in Burlington, Vermont, and its flight testing facilities at Plattsburgh International Airport in upstate New York.

Beta achieved the first piloted transition flights with the Alia 250 eVTOL prototype in April. While the company’s early eVTOL flight tests have mostly been confined to Plattsburgh, the conventional prototype has made several cross-country flights through the eastern U.S. over the past couple of years. Between its eVTOL and eCTOL models, Beta has logged more than 40,000 nautical miles in flight testing in four years.

If all goes according to plan, the FAA could issue Beta a type certificate for the fixed-wing CX300 aircraft as early as next year, with the Alia 250 eVTOL model to follow in 2026.