MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Wisk Aero, an autonomous aviation company, has completed the first flight of its Generation 6 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The initial flight took place at Wisk’s flight test facility in Hollister, Calif., where the aircraft conducted a vertical takeoff, hover, and stabilized flight maneuvers. The company said the test validated core flight systems and represents the first step in a broader flight test campaign.
Generation 6 is the subject of Wisk’s ongoing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) type certification program. Wisk, which is a Boeing subsidiary, said it is the only company to have designed, built, and flown six generations of eVTOL aircraft.
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"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 program," said Wisk CEO Sebastien Vigneron. "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."
Brian Yutko, vice president of product development at Boeing Commercial Airplanes and chairman of the board at Wisk, said the program is generating technologies and engineering insights with broader relevance.
"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," Yutko said. "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 aircraft are all-electric and autonomous, with human oversight provided by a ground-based multi-vehicle supervisor. The company said this operational model is intended to support high levels of safety, scalability, and affordability.
Next steps
Following the successful first hover flight, Wisk has begun a structured flight test program to validate the Gen 6 design, simulation models, and system performance. Initial testing will focus on hover operations, including takeoffs, landings, and low-speed stability, before expanding to higher speeds and altitudes. Later phases are expected to include more complex maneuvers such as longitudinal transition, lateral translation, and pedal turns.
In parallel, Wisk continues to mature its autonomy technologies, including detect-and-avoid and navigation systems, and is working with the FAA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), SkyGrid, a Boeing-owned company, and other partners on airspace integration.
