Transportation continues to evolve, moving people and goods more efficiently, and the numbers prove it.

BETA Technologies reported its third quarter on Nov 3: record revenue of $17.7 million and a backlog of 1,040 aircraft. Its filings give no date for type certification.

That is how progress reads: applications, rules, permits and the company's words, each dated.

BETA Technologies

Last week we charted BETA's share price moving apart from Joby's and Archer's: Private marks keep marching higher (Oct 28).

We’ll profile BETA in more detail Friday, but the stock is up +22% this week. Progress leaves a paper trail.

The company’s CX300 is a conventional takeoff and landing airplane on the Part 23 route, the existing rules for normal category airplanes.

Its H500A motor (Part 33) and Hartzell propeller (Part 35) are certified separately.

Joby and Archer (more below) started under Part 23 too, until, in the companies' words, in May 2022 the FAA "indicated that it was revisiting the decision to certify all eVTOLs under Part 23 and would, instead, require certification under the 'powered lift' classification".

The A250 is a VTOL: it takes off and lands vertically.

Same route, but BETA adopted the FAA's published rulebook: "pursuant to AC 21.17-4, we were able to adopt the AC requirements as our certification basis," closing its G-1 in August 2025; the sentence does not name the A250.

Beta on timing: CX300 "end of 2026 or early 2027," A250 "end of 2027 or early 2028" (Sep 29, 2025); "approximately 12 months following" the prior certificate (Mar 9, 2026); then none in three quarterly filings.

On Oct 20, 2026, the A250 flew under a Special Airworthiness Certificate for market surveys, "enabling demonstration flights with customers onboard ahead of type certification".

Joby Aviation + Archer Aviation

BETA is not alone on this road.

Joby and Archer, the other eVTOL makers in the space, both have dated applications and published criteria.

The FAA issues a type certificate when it finds that the type design, and the product built to it, meet its requirements (14 CFR 21.21).

In plain words: the design is approved. Joby and Archer are powered-lift, being certified as special class under 14 CFR 21.17(b): the FAA applies the existing rules it finds appropriate to the design, or criteria it finds give "an equivalent level of safety," "because the FAA has not yet established powered-lift airworthiness standards". In plain words: a rulebook written for one aircraft.

Joby applied Nov 2, 2018; criteria proposed Nov 8, 2022, final Mar 8, 2024. Archer applied Mar 30, 2022; criteria proposed Dec 20, 2022, final May 24, 2024.

Reading: Joby 2,923 days since application, Archer 1,679, as of Nov 3.

Joby on timing: "our 2024 commercial launch goal" (Mar 28, 2022), "first passengers in 2026" (Feb 27 and Aug 6, 2026); no filing dates for the certificate itself.

Archer on timing: "2024, 2025 or later" (2022, 2023), "late 2025 or later" (Feb 29, 2024), then none in three filings.

Reading: BETA calendar relative to none; Archer calendar to none; Joby launch targets only.

Who Else Is On The Road?

Since 2018, the FAA has published 38 such criteria documents for 19 companies; only two have a published notice for a passenger eVTOL, Joby and Archer.

Four of 19 have a type certificate data sheet, the FAA's record of an issued certificate, in our captures.

For the rest, not found is not the same as no certificate.

Reading: 4 of 19 with a data sheet; Percepto matched on holder name and "2.4"; ScanEagle3 not found.

Long Roads Are Normal

HondaJet applied Nov 11, 2006; Honda's Dec 9, 2015 release says "on Tuesday," read as Dec 8, 2015: 3,314 days.

Cirrus applied for the SF50 on Sep 9, 2008, and announced certification Oct 31, 2016: 2,974 days.

Joby stands at 2,923 days, Archer at 1,679, as of Nov 3.

Long roads are normal.

This is aviation, and aviation takes time. Heck - transportation takes time.

Reading: Joby and Archer beside two finished programs.

What To Watch

Joby reports after market close today, Nov 4.

Progress leaves a paper trail.

Godspeed.

Research, not financial advice.