Cargo plane takes 12-minute flight over California without a pilot: ‘Milestone for the industry’

A cargo plane flew over northern California without a pilot in the cockpit last month in a test of self-driving technology considered “a milestone” for aviation.

A Cessna 208B Caravan took off, flew and landed without a single person aboard on Nov. 21 — a first for aviation, the company who operated the pilot-less flight announced Wednesday.

The craft’s autonomous test ride from Hollister Municipal Airport was supervised by a remote pilot some 50 miles away, said Reliable Robotics. The pilot is able to take over the controls from the ground if something should go awry.

The total flight time was about 12 minutes, enough for the converted FedEx plane to take off from the San Benito County airport, do a few laps over residential neighborhoods, circle the airport and land, Reliable Robotics CEO Robert Rose told the San Francisco Chronicle.

“This is supposed to be a boring, uneventful thing, like a normal airplane, and that’s what we got,” Rose
said. “We spent years preparing to ensure that there would be no surprises.”

The tech company put a self-piloting plane in the air in 2019 as well, but that craft, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, was much smaller, according to the local publication.

The Skyhawk fits four while the plane used in last month’s test can accommodate up to a dozen people.

Both planes are designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc, which has been collaborating with Reliable Robotics — which was founded in 2017 by former Tesla and SpaceX employees — to build the autonomous aircraft.

“Reliable’s successful flight of an uncrewed Cessna 208 Caravan represents a milestone for the industry in bringing new technology to aviation,” said Textron Aviation Senior Vice President of Engineering and Programs, Chris Hearne.

Reliable Robotics has also been working with the US Air Force on ways to ideate the tech for military usage, like cargo logistics and aerial refueling, under a series of contracts since 2021.

“This milestone accelerates dual-use uncrewed flight opportunities, increasing aviation safety and enabling us to bring a broad range of autonomous military capabilities into denied environments,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX Director and Chief Commercialization Officer for the Department of the Air Force.