Wisk Aero has successfully completed the first flight of its Generation 6 electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), marking a major milestone in the company’s mission to deliver the first certified autonomous passenger-carrying aircraft in the USA. Wisk remains the only company to have designed, built and flown six generations of eVTOL aircraft.
The initial flight, which took place at Wisk’s test facility in Hollister, California, involved vertical take-off, hover and stabilised flight manoeuvres. This achievement validates the aircraft’s core flight systems and represents the first step in an extensive testing campaign. Generation 6 is the subject of Wisk’s type certification application and ongoing FAA certification project.
Drawing on insights from five previous generations and more than 1,750 test flights, Gen 6 is the first-ever candidate for FAA certification as a commercial autonomous passenger aircraft. Launch markets are expected to include Houston, Los Angeles and Miami. The successful hover flight is a pivotal moment in Wisk’s journey to bring safe, autonomous flight to market.
Wisk CEO Sebastien Vigneron said: “This first flight is the moment our team has been working toward, and it is a powerful demonstration of the work, expertise, and commitment that have gone into the Gen 6 programme. Seeing Gen 6 take flight is an exciting moment for Wisk and the future of aviation. It reaffirms our belief in autonomy, and we are even more energized to continue the journey to bring safe, everyday flight to everyone.”
Milestone momentBrian Yutko, vice-president of product development at
Boeing Commercial Airplanes and chairman of the board at Wisk, added: “We are excited to see Wisk achieve this milestone, and I am so proud of the team that made it possible. The team at Wisk has built advanced technologies across flight controls, sensing, navigation, mission management, electric power, systems integration, and many others for a product that is designed to meet a rigorous safety case for a focused concept of operations. The engineering methods and technologies are all a valuable source of insight for Boeing as we work together and thoughtfully apply them to the future of flight.”
Wisk’s aircraft are all-electric and fully autonomous, supported by human oversight from a ground-based ‘multi-vehicle supervisor’ — a model the company believes is key to achieving safety, scalability and affordability. Wisk is working closely with the FAA to ensure its aircraft meet or exceed the current commercial aviation safety standards.
With the first hover flight complete, Wisk has now begun a rigorous test programme to validate the Gen 6 design, simulation models and system performance. Early testing will focus on hover operations, including takeoffs, landings and low-speed stability, before progressing to higher speeds and altitudes with complex maneuvers such as longitudinal and lateral transitions and pedal turns. Each test provides critical data to refine control laws, structural loads and aircraft dynamics.
In parallel, Wisk continues to advance its autonomy technologies, including detect-and-avoid and navigation systems, while collaborating with the FAA,
NASA,
SkyGrid and other partners to develop a more efficient airspace. With Gen 6 now airborne, Wisk is moving closer to delivering a new mode of transportation that promises to strengthen US leadership in aviation and make flight safer worldwide.