Didier Papadopoulos, head of aircraft OEM at Joby, said the steps Joby has taken to produce a company-conforming aircraft, including the quality management system and regular FAA reviews, brings the company closer to receiving its production certification.

Joby has already built the major structures of the aircraft, like the wing, tail and fuselage, and will now fuse everything together and install wiring, electronics, actuation and propulsion systems.

The aircraft will be the first one produced at Joby’s pilot manufacturing facility in Marina, California. That facility is designed to prove out Joby’s manufacturing process through low-rate manufacturing and is capable of producing tens of aircraft per year, according to the company. Joby is already using the facility to build and assemble parts for future aircraft.

When it comes to more scaled manufacturing, Joby is currently in the market for a location for its Phase 1 production facility. The company says it’s actively reviewing proposals from a number of states keen to boost manufacturing and create jobs.