REGENT Craft’s Seaglider vessel prototype, Viceroy, has successfully completed its first human-crewed flight, making it the largest-ever all-electric wing-in-ground effect (WIG) craft to fly with people on board. The flight marks the first time a wing-in-ground effect vessel has been engineered and readied for commercial and defense operation at scale — solidifying America’s leadership in ground effect flight and positioning REGENT as the pioneer of this transformative transportation technology.
The first flight took place at REGENT’s headquarters on Narragansett Bay, R.I., with a crew of two captains aboard. The Seaglider flew a distance of 1,956 ft (596 m) at a height of 33 ft (10m) above the water for 30 seconds.
The Viceroy prototype flight test provides critical validation of the innovative technology and marks the start of the program’s final stage of sea trials. The REGENT team spent the summer increasing the vessel’s hydrofoiling speed in preparation for the flight, part of a comprehensive testing effort throughout 2026 spanning both on-water operations and simulation-based development. These efforts continue to refine vehicle performance, de-risk operations, and accelerate REGENT’s readiness for commercial service and defense applications. REGENT has previously demonstrated flight of its uncrewed Squire Seaglider drone.
“This is the moment we have been envisioning and tirelessly pursuing for the past five and a half years: REGENT has successfully proven safe, efficient ground-effect flight,” said Billy Thalheimer, co-founder and CEO at REGENT. “The Viceroy Seaglider flight marks the start of a new era in mobility, unlocking opportunities across passenger travel, defense missions, and cargo transport. I’m so grateful to the amazing team who made history today. We’re now moving quickly toward production to deliver Seagliders to coastlines around the world.”
“Completing this flight test validates years of rigorous engineering and operational work and gives us the confidence to move into full-rate production,” said Mike Klinker, co-founder and CTO at REGENT. “We showed today that flying a Seaglider is every bit as smooth and safe as we designed it to be. I can’t wait to get onboard and to share the experience with others as we make our vision for the future of maritime mobility a reality.”