Joby Cessna Caravan completes autonomous flight across US

According to the company, during the flight with intermediate stops, a pilot remained in the cockpit for safety, but did not need to intervene in the controls during taxiing, takeoff, landing, or en-route navigation (the route spanned 5,148 km, and about 5,150 km according to Habr). The route concluded in the state of North Carolina on the Outer Banks islands.

The flight was monitored by specialists from a California control centre and from Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina at distances of up to 3,738 km. The aircraft performed manoeuvres in the busy airspace of Phoenix Deer Valley Airport and altered its route in real time to navigate around thunderstorms and bad weather.

The system utilizes technology from Xwing, which was acquired by Joby Aviation in 2024. In total, the developer has conducted over 400 autonomous flights with an aggregate duration of around 800 hours. The company expects to use the system for commercial cargo transportation, rescue operations, and military logistics. The aircraft is now preparing for a return flight through the states of North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, and Oregon.