The Duck Curve#electric aviation
BETA flies over 1,300 nautical miles on North Carolina medical test routes
BETA Technologies said on September 23, 2026 that its ALIA CTOL has flown more than 1,300 nautical miles of routes in North Carolina since September 17 under the DOT and FAA eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, with simulated deliveries of healthcare cargo alongside NCDOT, Metro Aviation and healthcare partners including ECU Health and WakeMed. In a DOT statement that day, BETA's Kyle Clark said its aircraft flew more than 16 medical and disaster response missions in the week to September 23. The operations will use a Charge Cube installed at Raleigh Executive Jetport in 2024, per BETA.
Heart Aerospace's 106-foot electric X1 demonstrator makes first flight
Heart Aerospace's X1 demonstrator made its first flight on August 12, 2026, from Plattsburgh International Airport in New York: 27 minutes aloft, 1,100 feet of altitude, and more than one megawatt of all-electric power under a takeoff weight above 25,000 pounds. The company calls it the largest battery-electric aircraft ever flown and is applying the results to its 30-seat hybrid-electric ES-30, targeted for airline service in 2031.
