Archer has begun the next phase of Midnight's flight test programme showcasing piloted flight. This phase builds on years of safe, autonomous flight testing across its various aircraft platforms, which validated its proprietary 12 tilt-6 VTOL configuration. Midnight cruised at speeds up to 125 mph and reached a maximum altitude of over 1,500 ft above ground level during the flight.

The flight featured a conventional take-off and landing demonstrating the robustness of Midnight's landing gear, which is capable of performing both vertical and conventional take-off and landing operations. Through its design and certification process, Archer, government regulators and its customers, both civil and defence, have identified the importance of being able to conduct both vertical and conventional take-off and landing as part of normal operations of the aircraft as CTOL provides operational flexibility and enhanced safety.

During this phase of Midnight's flight test programme, Archer's test pilots will continue to test key elements of the aircraft, such as flight control responsiveness, stability, and aerodynamic and control model validation, in addition to gathering data to support its certification and commercialisation efforts in both the US and UAE.

“Put simply, the performance of Midnight continues to demonstrate the strengths of our design decisions for this aircraft platform,” explains Adam Goldstein, CEO and founder of Archer. “Midnight's VTOL and CTOL capabilities are a strong differentiator for us as they are critical for delivering an aircraft that can integrate into a wide range of operational scenarios while also providing enhanced safety.”

The piloted flight was flown by Archer chief test pilot Jeff Greenwood who joined the company in 2021, providing invaluable insight while focusing on cockpit design, including vendor selection for the display and other equipment. Before joining Archer, Greenwood served as a test pilot for Bell Textron, where he helped develop, test and certify leading industry rotorcraft. A veteran, Greenwood served as a pilot in the United States Marine Corps for 13 years. During his tenure, he developed his passion for test piloting and was a graduate of the United States Naval Test Pilot School.

“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,” says Greenwood, chief test pilot. “That level of consistency is no surprise. It's a testament to the engineering and operational excellence of our team, whose attention to detail and dedication to safety made this milestone possible.”