Archer’s Midnight Completes First ‘No Roads’ Tour Flight, Cutting Salinas-Hollister Commute to 12 Minutes
Event summary
- Archer’s Midnight aircraft completed a piloted roundtrip flight between Salinas and Hollister, CA, covering 40 miles in ~24 minutes total.
- The flight reached speeds of 125 mph at 3,550 feet, cutting ground travel time by ~70%.
- This marks the first stop in Archer’s ‘No Roads’ tour, with planned flights across Northern California and future operations in LA and under the eIPP.
- The tour follows 70+ test flights in August, including a Salinas-Monterey roundtrip.
The big picture
Archer’s successful ‘No Roads’ tour flight underscores the potential of eVTOLs to disrupt urban commuting, aligning with broader trends in electrification and on-demand mobility. The strategic focus on FAA collaboration and high-profile events like the LA28 Games positions Archer to capture early market share in the emerging air taxi industry.
What we're watching
- Regulatory Momentum
- Whether Archer can sustain this pace of FAA-approved flights to meet eIPP and LA28 deadlines.
- Market Expansion
- The pace at which Archer scales operations beyond California into Texas, Florida, and New York.
- Competitive Positioning
- How Archer’s operational milestones will differentiate it from other eVTOL developers in the lead-up to commercialization.