Watch a Five-Seater Air Taxi Soar Over a Beautiful Countryside

Next up: high speed operations.

Moving Forward

In May, German startup Lilium released footage of its five-seater jet's maiden flight. But "flight" might have been a bit generous — in the clip, the air taxi lifts straight up and right back down again.

So, we already knew the vertical take-off and landing craft could, indeed, take-off and land — and thanks to a newly released video, we now know it can also really fly.

Air Taxi Trip

In the minute-long video Lilium released on Tuesday, the remotely controlled air taxi takes off vertically before accelerating forward for what looks to be a casual sunset jaunt over a pastoral countryside.

Now that the craft has completed its first phase of flight testing, which involved more than 100 different ground and flight tests, the company is looking ahead to what's next, according to a press release shared alongside the video.

"We are now moving into a critical stage of testing as we prepare for high speed operations and eventual certification by the relevant authorities," Leandro Bigarella, Lilium's Head of Flight Test, said in the release.

Fast Pass

The release claims the Lilium Jet has already proven capable of flying at a speeds in excess of 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour). Eventually, Lilium plans to boost its air taxi's top speed to 300 kilometers per hour (186 miles per hour) and extend its range to 300 kilometers (186 miles).

That would mean passengers could catch a flight in Los Angeles and be in San Diego in less than 45 minutes — a trip that would take more than two hours by car, not counting traffic.

More on the Lilium Jet: Watch a Five-Seater Air Taxi’s Maiden Flight

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