What Happened
Autonomous Flight Milestone Achieved With Zero Pilot Input
Joby Aviation has successfully flown a modified Cessna Caravan 3,199 miles across the United States without any control input from its onboard safety pilot. The autonomous flight, which began in California and ended in North Carolina, demonstrates the potential of Joby’s autonomous flight technology. The aircraft, known as the J208, was fitted with Joby’s system and completed the journey in stages, including stops in Phoenix, Fort Worth, and Shaw Air Force Base. The flight was supervised by ground personnel from as far as 2,300 miles away, with an onboard safety pilot available to take control but making no inputs during the journey. This achievement was reported by AeroTime.