An aircraft crossed the United States without the pilot seated on board touching the controls even once.
The aircraft is a Cessna Caravan modified to accommodate Joby Aviation’s autonomous flight system. It traveled 3,199 miles, or approximately 5,148 km, from California to North Carolina. The journey took place over several legs during an approximately month-long tour.
The Cessna Caravan J208 equipped with Joby Aviation’s autonomous flight technology flies over San Francisco Bay on September 7, 2026.
Credit: Joby Aviation.
A safety pilot was on board, but did not issue any flight commands. Teams also monitored the aircraft remotely from California and South Carolina. At times, this supervision took place more than 3,700 km from the aircraft.
The system handled operations that usually require a pilot’s direct intervention: taxiing, takeoff, route following and landing. The aircraft also flew through different types of airspace along the way.
The journey was not limited to simple conditions. According to Joby, the aircraft operated at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, which is heavily used by general aviation. It also changed its route in response to thunderstorms and difficult weather. The system did not need to know every airport it used in advance.
To understand the significance of this demonstration, it is important to distinguish this aircraft from the electric air taxis being developed by Joby. Here, the company installed its technology on a Cessna Caravan, an aircraft already widely used to transport passengers or freight. This approach makes it possible to test autonomy on an existing aviation platform.
The technology is not making its first flight. Joby says it has accumulated more than 800 hours of automated flight over more than 400 flights. The company acquired part of this technology through its acquisition of Xwing in 2024.
The intended uses primarily involve missions where having no pilot on board could offer practical benefits: freight, medical transport, disaster relief or military logistics.