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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Archer Aviation’s Midnight eVTOL entered a new piloted flight-test phase in late May 2025, the company announced on June 2. Chief Test Pilot Jeff Greenwood flew the aircraft in a conventional takeoff-and-landing mission, reaching speeds of up to 125 mph and climbing above 1,500 feet above ground level, according to Archer.
What happened on Midnight’s first piloted flight?
The flight showcased the start of Archer’s piloted testing program rather than a completed passenger operation. Greenwood was at the controls during the flight conducted the week before Archer’s June 2, 2025 announcement.
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Archer said the program would collect data on flight-control responsiveness and stability, and validate its aerodynamic and control models. The data is intended to support the company’s certification and commercialization work in the United States and the United Arab Emirates.
Greenwood described the aircraft’s handling in Archer’s announcement: “Flying Midnight felt just like flying the simulator—everything responded exactly as we trained for, which is exactly what you hope for during a test flight.” That is the test pilot’s account in a company release, not an independent safety assessment.
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Was the flight a vertical takeoff and landing?
No. The June 2025 demonstration used conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL). It should not be described as a complete vertical takeoff, wing-borne transition and vertical landing mission.
Archer had announced a separate milestone in June 2024: a transition flight in which Midnight moved from thrust-borne flight to wing-borne flight with its tilting propellers pointed forward, then decelerated for a vertical landing. That earlier flight and the 2025 piloted CTOL demonstration test different parts of the aircraft’s development.
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| Milestone | Flight mode | Company-reported details | Stated purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2024 transition announcement | Vertical takeoff, transition to wing-borne flight, vertical landing | More than 100 mph; aircraft weight about 6,500 pounds | Demonstrate the transition between hover- and wing-borne flight |
| May 2025 flight, announced June 2 | Piloted conventional takeoff and landing | Up to 125 mph; above 1,500 feet AGL; flown by Jeff Greenwood | Evaluate handling, stability and aerodynamic/control-model performance |
All figures in the table are Archer-reported results from the respective announcements; they are not regulator-published performance figures.
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What it demonstrates
- Midnight had entered piloted flight operations in this test phase.
- The aircraft could be flown through a conventional takeoff-and-landing mission at the speeds and altitude Archer reported.
- Archer was gathering flight data for control-law, stability and aerodynamic-model validation.
What remains unproven
- The flight does not establish completed type certification.
- It does not demonstrate routine passenger service or scheduled commercial operations.
- It is not an independently verified safety record or an independent confirmation of the quoted performance.
- It does not, by itself, confirm that a full VTOL transition mission has been completed with a pilot on board.
How Midnight’s published design targets fit the milestone
In a 2022 description, Archer presented Midnight as an electric VTOL aircraft for one pilot and four passengers, with an expected payload above 1,000 pounds. The company also described a design optimized for consecutive trips of about 20 miles, with approximately 10 minutes of charging between trips.
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Those figures were company design descriptions and targets published in 2022. They should not be read as certified capacity, range, turnaround time or evidence that passenger flights were available.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened in later testing?
UAE environmental testing
In July 2025, Archer reported an initial Midnight flight at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi. The company said the UAE campaign would examine VTOL performance in conditions including high temperature, humidity and dust. This was a test activity, not evidence that certification or commercial service had begun.
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Longer conventional flight
In August 2025, Archer reported a conventional takeoff-and-landing mission covering approximately 55 miles in 31 minutes, at speeds exceeding 126 mph. That result was also a company-reported test milestone and should not be treated as an independently verified operating specification.
What the milestone means for Archer’s program
The piloted CTOL flight is an important progression from uncrewed or earlier developmental work because it puts a qualified pilot into the aircraft while Archer measures real handling and model-prediction data. The evidence supports saying that Midnight’s piloted flight testing had begun.
It does not support saying that Midnight was certified, ready for airline-style service or proven safe for passengers. Those outcomes require additional testing, regulatory review and certification evidence beyond the announcements described here.
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