The Boeing air taxi has completed its first flight, sort of.

The new prototype is part of the Boeing (NYSE:BA) NeXt program that seeks to create an electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. This Boeing air taxi will also work without a pilot as an autonomous vehicle.

While the Boeing air taxi did indeed make it off the ground, it would be a stretch to say that it was really flying. Instead, the aircraft lifted off, hovered for a short period of time, and then returned to the ground.

According to the aeronautics company, the next test for the Boeing air taxi will be forward flight. This will be a greater test of the aircraft to see what it is capable of. BA notes that the transition from vertical to horizontal flight is one of the most difficult engineering challenges for a high-speed vertical takeoff and landing vehicle.

“This is what revolution looks like, and it’s because of autonomy,” John Langford, President and CEO of Aurora Flight Sciences, said in a statement. “Certifiable autonomy is going to make quiet, clean and safe urban air mobility possible.”

Aurora Flight Sciences is a subsidiary of Boeing. It is responsible for the design and development of the Boeing air taxi. This vehicle is able to travel 50 miles on a single charge. It is also 30 feet long and 28 feet wide.

You can follow this link to see the Boeing air taxi’s first test flight for yourself.

As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.