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In November we took a giant leap toward the stratosphere! Our Kea Atmos aircraft soared to 6,000 feet and flew 8km downrange, marking the first Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight for the Kea Atmos. This flight also marked the completion of the company’s low-altitude test campaign, which included twelve previous Kea Atmos flights, and now the Kea Aerospace team is preparing the aircraft for higher altitudes.

The Kea Atmos is engineered to be incredibly light and efficient. With a 12.5-metre wingspan—1.5 metres wider than a Cessna 172—it weighs less than 40 kg, about the weight of a Bonobo chimpanzee. Powered by the energy equivalent of a hair dryer, the Kea Atmos is designed to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sustainable flight. With summer approaching, we’re now watching for weather windows to open up that will take our mission further, higher, and longer than ever. Stay tuned as we reach for the stratosphere!

This flight also debuted the Kea Atmos from the stunning Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre, where we had the privilege of using their new hangar and facilities. Tāwhaki is an exceptional R&D hub, and its infrastructure plays a pivotal role in advancing New Zealand’s aerospace industry. A massive thank you to the dedicated team at Tāwhaki for their support.