Beta

Beta (uppercase Β, lowercase β) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 2. In Ancient Greek it represented the voiced bilabial plosive, while in Modern Greek it represents the voiced labiodental fricative. Letters that arose from beta include the Roman letter B and the Cyrillic letters Б and В. The name beta derives from the acrophonic name of the corresponding letter in Phoenician, from the common Semitic word for 'house'. The letter was derived from the Phoenician letter beth. Beta is also used in finance as a measure of investment portfolio risk, in the International Phonetic Alphabet to denote a voiced bilabial fricative, and in mathematics and science as a variable with various specific meanings. In rock climbing terminology, 'beta' refers to advice on completing a route or problem. 'Beta' can also refer to several videotape formats developed by Japan's Sony Corporation, including Betamax and Betacam.

The letter beta was derived from the Phoenician letter beth. The letter Β had the largest number of highly divergent local forms, including forms from Gortyn, Thera, Argos, Melos, Corinth, Megara, Byzantium, and the Cyclades. The name of beta comes from the acrophonic name of the corresponding letter in Phoenician, which was the common Semitic word *bayt ('house'). In Greek, the name was βῆτα bêta, pronounced [bɛ̂ːta] in Ancient Greek; it is spelled βήτα in modern monotonic orthography and pronounced [ˈvita].

• Unconfirmed

  Reported2026.10.21

  BETA secures FAA authorization for prospective-customer flight operations[2]BETA获得FAA授权开展面向潜在客户的飞行运营news.google.com

  BETA became the first company to secure FAA authorization to conduct flight operations with prospective customers in electric VTOL aircraft.

• 2026.09.10

  Reported2026.09.10

  Electric air taxi test flights kick off in Texas under FAA eIPP with Joby, Beta, and Wisk[3]FAA eIPP电动空中出租车测试飞行在得克萨斯州启动，Joby、Beta与Wisk参与theverge.com

  The first test flights under the Federal Aviation Administration's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP) kicked off in Texas on September 10, 2026, featuring Joby, Beta, and Wisk. For the next week the companies will conduct passenger-free test flights demonstrating future routes between cities and regional airports, including Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

Read more

1. 1Betaen.wikipedia.org
2. 2BETA获得FAA授权开展面向潜在客户的飞行运营news.google.com
3. 3FAA eIPP电动空中出租车测试飞行在得克萨斯州启动，Joby、Beta与Wisk参与theverge.com