Joby Aviation has completed a 3,199-mile autonomous flight across the United States using a modified Cessna Caravan fitted with the company’s autonomy technology.
The month-long demonstration tested autonomous flight operations across different environments without control inputs from the onboard safety pilot. The aircraft handled taxiing, takeoffs, navigation and landings autonomously while being remotely supervised from facilities in California and South Carolina.
Joby said the demonstration shows a possible way to introduce autonomous technology to already-certified aircraft instead of developing an entirely new airframe.
During the journey, the aircraft operated in busy environments, including Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, and responded to severe weather and thunderstorms by rerouting in real time. Testing covered both controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
Joby said its autonomy system has completed more than 400 flights and accumulated over 800 hours of automated flight time. The technology includes capabilities from the autonomy division the company acquired from Xwing in 2024 and has also been tested in 3 US military exercises.
The cross-country demonstration included use cases related to freight, defence logistics and medical transportation. In North Carolina, flights supported the NCDOT eLIFT-NC initiative, while demonstrations in the western US contributed to the UDOT-led uFLY coalition’s work on airspace integration.
The flight also highlighted potential applications beyond passenger air taxis. Autonomous aircraft could be used to transport medical supplies, emergency freight, replacement parts and other cargo without requiring a pilot onboard.
Joby plans to operate the aircraft on a westbound journey after completing its eastbound trip, with scheduled stops including Raleigh, Louisville, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City and Portland.
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