Trials and test flights mark progress toward autonomous aircraft operations
By Jamey Jacob|December 2024
The Uncrewed and Autonomous Systems Integration Committee represents and serves the broad interests of the uncrewed, autonomous and intelligent robotic systems community, encompassing space, aerial, ground, surface water, underwater and other uncrewed and robotic systems, their components and their wide-ranging applications.
In the regional air mobility sector, the push toward autonomous cargo operations continued. In February, Reliable Robotics of California announced FAA accepted the testing plan for its autonomous flight technology, which the company flew last December in an unoccupied Cessna 208B Grand Caravan supervised by a remote pilot. In August, Reliable Robotics and California air taxi developer Joby Aviation participated in a U.S. Air Force Agile Flag exercise, in which each company controlled a Grand Caravan with their autonomous flight technology to transport cargo between military bases. Joby’s technology was developed by Xwing of California, whose autonomy division Joby acquired in June.
In the drone delivery field, Wing and Zipline, both of California, received FAA approval in June to fly their drones beyond visual line of sight in the Dallas/Fort Worth region of Texas, the first time FAA “has authorized multiple drone operations in the same airspace,” according to a press release. The trials focused on operational efficiency, safety and air traffic management integration and aligned with national efforts to enhance last-mile delivery services via drones. DroneUp of Virginia received approval for BVLOS flights in January, and in November, Amazon announced that it had began BVLOS deliveries in the Phoenix metro area.
NASA continued to play a crucial role in developing autonomous flight technologies for air taxis. In a series of tests starting in January, multiple drones were flown autonomously in complex environments BVLOS, a key requirement for the future of AAM, in which autonomous air taxis are expected to operate alongside traditional aircraft.
In April, Joby broke ground on its planned large-scale manufacturing facility in Dayton, Ohio. In January, Horizon Aircraft of Canada secured orders for its seven-person air taxi, underscoring strong market demand for autonomous air transport solutions. In April, EHang of China received a production certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, allowing the company to begin mass producing its EH216-S pilotless aircraft. But the news was not all positive: In November, Lilium, the Munich air taxi developer, announced it and its subsidies filed for insolvency.
From March to September, the UAS World Meteorological Organization Demonstration Campaign illustrated the potential of uncrewed aircraft systems to complement traditional weather forecasting tools by providing high-resolution data on atmospheric conditions, especially in hard-to-reach areas. The campaign explored operational feasibility and regulatory frameworks for integrating UAS into global meteorological networks, culminating in an international weeklong exercise in Tulsa, Oklahoma, sponsored by NASA and NOAA.
In the defense sector, the Pentagon in July conducted its most challenging counter-unmanned aerial system demonstration to date. At Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, eight C-UAS aircraft were pitted against swarms of up to 50 drones, including a mix of fast jets, propeller-driven fixed wings and multirotor platforms. A layered defense approach was utilized, combining radars, cameras, jammers and other technologies to detect and neutralize threats.
In October, Skydweller Aero completed the first autonomous flight campaign of its solar-powered aircraft, which first flew in April. The unoccupied Skydweller, whose wingspan the company reports as being longer than that of a Boeing 747, took off from Stennis International Airport in Mississippi and flew over the Gulf of Mexico.
The U.S. Defense Department’s Joint Counter-UAS University reached full operational capability, integrating C-UAS training into military exercises and conducing live swarm demonstrations in September. To ensure that warfighters from all branches are prepared to respond to evolving drone threats, the training includes basic and advanced courses designed to synchronize C-UAS efforts across the U.S. military. In Canada, directed energy weapons like lasers were tested in May and June during a sandbox exercise, demonstrating their effectiveness in defeating drones at long range.
Contributor: Devin Jacob
