Reliable Robotics, a developer of automated flight systems for remotely piloted operations, was awarded an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to retrofit Air Force aircraft with its continuous autopilot system, which is designed to be installed on any model.

The partners will have flexibility under the agreement, which calls for the delivery of an unspecified quantity of services within a fixed window. The Air Force can place orders under the contract, authorizing specific work and the funding that comes with it. The contract will further allow Reliable and AFWERX—the innovation arm of the Air Force—to explore partnerships with other military branches, tailoring the system for additional missions.

According to retired Major General Dr. David O’Brien, senior vice president of government solutions at Reliable, the agreement “signals long-term engagement with the Air Force and provides flexibility for us to further demonstrate our autonomous flight system in operational readiness activities.”

The IDIQ arrangement, which will support the development and deployment of Reliable’s autopilot system, comes less than one week after AFWERX awarded the company $3.6 million under a Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI), tightening a relationship that began in 2021 and has since expanded with a series of small business innovation research (SBIR) contracts.

The TACFI will allow Reliable to perform uncrewed cargo missions for the military, building on a pair of Air Force demonstrations it completed earlier this year.

Reliable’s automation system covers all phases of flight from taxi to takeoff to landing, using hardware and software to automate control surfaces and engine controls. It’s designed to prevent controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and loss of control in flight (LOC-I)—two of the leading causes of aviation accidents.

Detect and avoid and precision navigation systems help the aircraft understand where it is and where it’s going, while voice and data links enable remote communication. Remote supervisors or onboard safety pilots can communicate with air traffic control and redirect the aircraft to an alternate landing site in the case of inclement weather, for example. According to Reliable, the system is just as reliable as crewed flight.

Some within the Air Force believe autonomy systems like Reliable’s can safely support longer duration missions in “contested environments” more cheaply than its own technology while reducing aircrew needs. The partners are particularly focused on the Indo-Pacific region, where tensions between the U.S. and China are strained over relations with Taiwan.

Lieutenant Colonel Josh Fehd, branch chief of AFWERX’s Autonomy Prime division, called the technology a “mission critical capability.” Autonomy Prime was announced in January and greenlit by Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, after officials “recognized a need,” according to AFWERX.

“This IDIQ contract is driven by demand from Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Pacific Air Forces and commands that want to employ advanced aircraft automation in their fleets as soon as possible,” said Fehd.

Reliable’s primary testbed aircraft for its system is the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, which in November completed what the company claims was the first remotely piloted cargo flight of that model. The FAA-approved trial lasted about 12 minutes and was remotely operated from a ground control station.

The Caravan was a loan from potential launch customer FedEx, and Reliable is collaborating with Cessna manufacturer Textron Aviation and Textron eAviation to retrofit additional aircraft. The remotely piloted Caravan could enable same- or next-day shipments to locations currently served by piloted models. The company plans to operate a Part 135 airline subsidiary led by former Ameriflight executives.

Reliable has also shared with the Air Force a blueprint to automate the KC-135 Stratotanker, the military’s core aerial refueling aircraft. But according to the company, under the IDIQ agreement, its aircraft-agnostic system could find its way onto other models such as the Cessna 408 SkyCourier. The system is designed to support cargo aircraft with 3,000-plus-pound payloads.

The FAA in February formally accepted the certification requirements for Reliable’s aircraft navigation and autopilot systems, including a means of compliance for testing and analysis. The company claims its full aircraft automation software is the only system of its kind with an FAA-approved project specific certification plan (PSCP), on which the agency signed off last year.

Another autonomous flight developer working with the Air Force, Xwing—which earlier this year was acquired by electric air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation—submitted its PSCP in April 2023. Merlin Labs, meanwhile, has a basis for certification with New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority for its Merlin Pilot system.

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Joby on Thursday introduced its Elevate Operating Software (ElevateOS), a suite of platforms designed to help the company support on-demand air taxi operations the same way Uber and Lyft manage ground-based rideshare services. According to the company, ElevateOS is approved for company use under the FAA Part 135 permissions it was awarded in May 2022.

The firm says the system represents a key piece of what it has termed its “preflight checklist”— a set of objectives it aims to complete before launching a commercial U.S. service in 2025 with partner and investor Delta Air Lines. Company executives talked at length about the blueprint during a presentation Thursday afternoon.

ElevateOS comprises three main applications—a core operations system that manages landing pad access, maintenance scheduling, and more, pilot app, and mobile-first rider app. A fourth component, which Joby describes as “an intelligent matching engine,” connects passengers to aircraft and takeoff and landing sites, akin to existing ride-hailing services.

Within the pilot app are tools that enable pre and postflight checks, ensure pilots are getting enough rest, and provide information on aircraft weight and balance through an integration with the rider app. The latter platform is intended to function much like the Uber app for riders, with which ElevateOS will actually have an integration at launch. Joby riders will be able to book on the Uber platform and vice versa.

“The air taxi service we plan to deliver isn’t like any sort of air travel that’s existed before,” said Eric Allison, the former head of Uber air taxi arm Elevate who now serves as chief product officer for Joby. The manufacturer acquired Uber Elevate in 2021. Allison also previously served as CEO of Zee.Aero—which would eventually become Boeing’s air taxi arm, Wisk Aero—for eight years.

“We expect travelers to book on-demand and to be boarding an aircraft just minutes later, much like the experience of using ground-based ridesharing today,” Allison added. “That required us to totally rethink the software and the operations of these aircraft.”

Elevate, which ran the short-lived Uber Copter service, failed, Allison said, because the software platform required for such a service did not yet exist. He and others who migrated to Joby developed ElevateOS from the ground up with the goal of bringing an on-demand service to the aerial realm, where scheduled flights are king.

According to Allison, the four key components of ElevateOS work in concert, communicating between one another to ensure operators, pilots, and other team members are on the same page. Each portion was built on the same platform in the same language, a strategy he compared to Amazon’s launch of Prime delivery services.

Leveraging the FAA Part 135 permissions it was awarded in May 2022, Joby already has put ElevateOS through two years of real-world testing.

Using a Cirrus SR22, which like its flagship air taxi is designed for a pilot to fly as many as four passengers, the company has been running an internal shuttle service for its team members through an early version of the rider app. Employees select a desired time, origin, and destination and are autonomously matched with other riders.

The app already handles payments for whole-aircraft flights, which has allowed Joby to offer charter services to some external customers as well. Additionally, the firm says it has integrated both the pilot and rider app with its backend software. By October of last year, all three main components were working in tandem and simulating real-world operations.

Now, Joby has the FAA’s sign-off to deploy these tools for commercial service when the time comes. The firm intends to use ElevateOS in its own operations, but it will also offer it to certain customers who purchase aircraft as part of a wider service package.

The Preflight Checklist

Joby on Thursday updated investors on its progress toward a commercial launch in a presentation that revealed the company’s completed and pending objectives. The so-called preflight checklist covers the company’s service, safety procedures, pilots, operating systems, and maintenance.

Much of the company’s certification work with the FAA will transfer to those international markets, Joby president of operations Bonny Simi said, through bilateral agreements with other regulators. The firm intends to offer pilot training, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), safety systems, and other services wherever it flies, bundling some of these into an offering for customers as well.

Having earlier this year received the first set of FAA final airworthiness criteria for an eVTOL design and acquired autonomous flight developer Xwing, Joby is making steady progress on the development of its aircraft itself. The next step will be adding it to the company’s Part 135 certificate, a process Simi said has already begun.

Understanding that it cannot simply drop its air taxi into the existing airspace system and expect success, Joby is now in the process of building a new ecosystem for its flagship design.

ElevateOS checks several boxes. But the biggest area of need, according to the preflight checklist, is pilots. Currently, no FAA-certified eVTOL, or powered-lift, pilots exist. The agency is in the process of developing training and certification requirements for these pilots, which Joby is using to design an internal training course.

The company aims to develop an FAA-approved program comprising Part 141 pilot school certification, Part 142 training organization approval, and Level 3 full flight simulators qualified under Part 60.

It says it has already developed an aircraft-specific course to train qualified commercial pilots to fly its air taxi. The program was borne out of a partnership with Canadian flight simulator developer CAE, which in 2022 agreed to build immersive eVTOL training simulators for Joby. 

These full-motion, six-axis simulators, capable of mimicking the eVTOL flight envelope, will be used in training, a requirement for companies building a single-pilot air taxi. Joby says it has already begun the multiyear development and approval process, performing hundreds of tests, comparing simulator and aircraft data, and working closely with the FAA. It believes it is on track to certify the device before its U.S. launch. A modified version of the simulator will be used to train pilots in the United Arab Emirates.

According to Joby, 10 Air Force pilots have now flown the aircraft through a full transition from hover to forward flight. It expects to be able to train a commercial airline pilot to fly the air taxi in about six weeks. In the early years of operations, the aircraft will likely be staffed by pilots with experience flying for airlines or the military, and who would prefer to live and work in the same region.

Already, the company has begun private pilot training and ground school to help new pilots to obtain an initial rating, which could then be used to add powered-lift permissions. It says it is on the way to certifying a Part 141 training academy. Additionally, should Joby secure Part 142 approval, it could sell training as a service to customers.

On the maintenance side, Joby is using its recently acquired FAA Part 145 certificate to design a comprehensive MRO network for itself and its customers. In designing its aircraft with systems such as direct drive motors, the company’s goal is to reduce maintenance costs and increase aircraft availability compared to helicopters. It intends to use predictive maintenance planning, tracking the wear and tear of components to preempt any issues that would sideline the aircraft.

The company is in the process of establishing MRO services in Dubai and has already completed some MRO work in advance of operations. The goal is to one day add that capability to its entire fleet to keep operations around the globe humming. A $1 million FAA grant, intended to help Joby design one of the first training programs for eVTOL mechanics, will aid those efforts.

Another dimension Joby is concerned with is safety, which Allison called “the North Star of everything we do.”

In January, the FAA announced that a Part 5-approved Safety Management System (SMS), previously a voluntary measure, would be required for all Part 135 air operators. Simi described the SMS as an organization-wide approach to managing risk. Joby in 2023 became the first eVTOL company to get an SMS approved by the FAA and is in the process of implementing it across all operations, from manufacturing to training to MRO. It is also working to incorporate an SMS for original equipment manufacturers, another new requirement.

Joby expects to achieve type certification in the coming months prior to a planned launch in New York and Los Angeles with partners Delta and Uber, which according to Simi is the first phase of the company’s commercial rollout. Following that, it will ramp up to missions with the U.S. Department of Defense and expand to overseas markets such as the UAE, where it has a six-year agreement to operate an air taxi service in Dubai. It also plans to sell aircraft to Mukamalah, the aviation arm of Saudi Aramco.

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Over the course of two flights on May 15 and 16 at MacDill Air Force Base (KMCF) in Florida, engineers gathered data that will inform the development of the company’s autonomous flight system, Merlin Pilot. Intended to reduce the workload of pilots amid the ongoing pilot shortage—but not replace them, at least in the short term—the technology has also drawn the attention of government agencies, including the Air Force.

Merlin engineers observed Air Force pilots as they performed various tasks and maneuvers. The goal of the campaign was to identify areas where automation could be most useful for safety, efficiency, and cost savings. Teams gathered data on pilot priorities, for example, to implement automation in a way that could allow pilots to focus on the most critical tasks.

“The data collected during these flights is critical to our phased approach to autonomy, starting with reduced crew operations, and to materially evolving our advanced automation systems,” said Matt George, CEO of Merlin. “Being able to observe multiple aerial refueling flights and see exactly how pilots are focused on critical tasks like take-off, landing, and communications in operational military use cases has given us valuable insight.”

Physical assessments, observations, and crew interviews were conducted to determine how certain KC-135 operations could be integrated into the autonomous system.

The data will further be used to support a contract between Merlin, the Air Force, Air Mobility Command (AMC), and Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) to design, integrate, test, and perform in-flight demos of Merlin Pilot on the aerial refueling tanker. The Air Force previously enlisted Merlin to explore reduced crew capabilities for the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules and is looking to automate other aircraft, such as the KC-46A Pegasus and UH-60A Blackhawk.

The FAA has also shown interest in Merlin, awarding it a $1 million contract for automated cargo network flight trials in Alaska, which the company completed successfully in July. Other aircraft that have been equipped with Merlin Pilot include the Beechcraft King Air, de Havilland Twin Otter, Cessna Caravan, Long-EZ, and Cozy Mark IV.

Merlin is seeking supplemental type certification from the FAA and has already obtained a Part 135 air operator certificate from New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority, which covers air operations for helicopters and small airplanes.

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Today’s Top Pick is a 2017 Diamond DA62.

A lot of pilots who fly high-performance piston singles would like to step up to light twins but have doubts about handling their complexities, especially when one engine quits. Diamond Aircraft’s DA62 twin aims to remove much of the difficulty and potential anxiety from flying with one engine out. Diamond uses electronic engine controls and automation to simplify operation and ease the pilot’s workload.

Diamond’s approach results in a personal light twin that is ideal for cross-country travel with family or business associates. The security of a second engine relieves potential concerns regarding sudden power loss in one engine. The relative ease of securing the failed engine in the DA62, including automatic propeller feathering, helps minimize the disruption of asymmetric thrust that can be difficult for some less-experienced pilots to handle. In addition, the aircraft’s Austro engines are based on automotive powerplants that are likely to feel straightforward and familiar. 

This Diamond DA62 has 593 hours on the airframe and each of its 180 hp turbocharged Austro AE330 diesel engines. The panel features Garmin G1000 NXi-Phase 2 avionics.

Pilots who are interested in moving up to a light twin but wish to avoid some of the complexities of managing two engines—or one in the case of an engine failure—should consider this 2017 Diamond DA62, which is available for $1.5 million on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: We Fly: Diamond DA62
• FLYING Magazine:Transition Training: The Diamond DA62
• FLYING Magazine: Diamond DA62 to Debut at NBAA Convention
• Plane & Pilot: Ultimate Piston Twin: Diamond DA62
• Plane & Pilot: Plane & Pilot 2017 Buyer’s Guide: Piston Twins
• AVweb: Aeromot to Assemble Diamond DA62s in Brazil

The post This 2017 Diamond DA62 Is a Thoroughly Modern ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The company on Wednesday announced it completed the build of its Certification System Bench, a flight test simulator designed to speed its path to an STC. The simulator contains the company’s certifiable software and hardware components and is located at its Boston headquarters.

An STC is issued by a regulator when a company intends to modify an aerospace product from its initial, type-certified design. The approval authorizes the modification and how it will affect the original product.

In the case of Merlin, the company is seeking an STC from New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for Merlin Pilot, its platform-agnostic, takeoff-to-touchdown autonomy system for fixed-wing aircraft. Pilot uses an array of sensors to understand the state of the aircraft and its surroundings. The firm is working toward concurrent validation with the FAA through a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement between it and the CAA.

However, Merlin’s goal, at least in the short term, is not to remove the pilot from the cockpit entirely. Rather, it intends to supplement pilot workloads to combat the ongoing pilot shortage.

“In many ways, the Certification System Bench acts as a testing ‘funnel,’” said Sherif Ali, chief engineer for Merlin Pilot. “It allows us to test hundreds of cases with speed and ease, selecting edge cases to take to in-flight testing. As a result, we’re able to reduce the use of our test aircraft and keep it for limited cases only.”

The Certification System Bench will allow Merlin to test its automation systems from its headquarters, with no limitations due to factors such as weather, maintenance schedules, or pilot availability. The company says it provides a one-to-one replica of its in-flight technology, with three screens representing the pilot deck, instrument panels, and primary flight display.

The technology is equipped with the same software and hardware components found within the Pilot system. Further, cameras installed on the Bench allow Merlin’s global team to access it and perform testing remotely.

“With pilots on the Certification System Bench, we are able to learn multitudes about human factors while gaining accreditation towards our STC,” said Ali. “No other company in the sector has put more resources towards this type of testing simulator.”

According to Merlin, the Certification System Bench represents a “significant investment” for the firm—costing millions of dollars more than its actual aircraft—but one that will be worthwhile.

The company says ground tests on the Certification System Bench are accredited by aviation regulators, allowing those evaluations to contribute toward STC approval. Further, the technology should allow testing to become more routine. Technicians won’t need to worry about heavy rain or malfunctioning aircraft parts.

“Ensuring the Merlin Pilot is robust, safe, and reliable is our top priority, which underscores this [Certification] System Bench build as a huge milestone in Merlin’s certification journey,” said Matt George, founder and CEO of Merlin. “It took the team six months to design, vet solutions for, and build the Certification System Bench to extremely stringent specifications.”

Merlin is taking a “crawl-walk-run” approach to certification and operations, beginning with testing with the FAA and CAA, from which it recently obtained Part 135 operator approval. The next step will be to fly small aircraft with reduced crews, relying mostly on Pilot but augmented by a safety pilot. After that, the company intends to remove crews from small aircraft and reduce crews on larger aircraft.

Merlin received the first certification basis for an autonomous flight system from the CAA in 2023. Last year, Pilot also became the first autonomy system to secure U.S. National Airspace System integration and FAA validation, following agency-contracted uncrewed cargo network trials in Alaska, the company says.

Pilot so far has been integrated on five different aircraft types, including Dynamic Aviation’s fleet of Beechcraft King Airs and several aircraft from Ameriflight, the largest Part 135 cargo airline in the U.S.

Merlin further has a longstanding relationship with the U.S. Air Force, through which it has modified several military transport aircraft. In 2022, the company tested single-pilot crews aboard a Lockheed Martin C130J Hercules and conducted an autonomous refueling mission using a KC-46A Pegasus with no copilot.

In February, the partners extended their collaboration to demonstrate Pilot on a KC-135 Stratotanker. Merlin expects in-flight trials to begin next year, starting with a series of basic air refueling operations.

However, Merlin is not the only autonomous flight systems partner working with the Air Force. The department also has relationships with providers such as Xwing, Reliable Robotics, and rotorcraft manufacturer Sikorsky, which is developing an autonomy suite called Matrix.

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Chinese drone manufacturer DJI on Tuesday announced the worldwide launch of Dock 2, an automated solution aimed at enterprise customers. The drone in a box offering includes a takeoff and landing hub and two new, specially designed drones, intended to automate use cases such as surveying, inspections, asset management, and security.

DJI—known for its consumer camera drones that are widely used by hobbyists in the U.S. and globally—unveils Dock 2 about six months after revealing its first delivery drone, FlyCart 30. The company launched global sales of that model in January.

At the same time, DJI and other Chinese drone manufacturers face a prolonged push by U.S. lawmakers to ban their technology among federal agencies. Lawmakers have referred to the drones as “TikTok with wings,” in reference to the allegations of spying levied against the Chinese social media app. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security, meanwhile, recently released guidance warning of potential cybersecurity threats from Chinese drone manufacturers.

DJI has pushed back against all allegations, characterizing them as “inaccurate and unsubstantiated” and a bid by the U.S. to shield its domestic drone industry from foreign competition.

DJI drones are considered some of the cheapest and highest quality models on the market for hobbyists and public safety agencies. CNBC last year estimated the company is responsible for about 7 in 10 global consumer drone sales.

“Today, far too many workers must perform repetitive but complex and dangerous jobs manually on-site,” said Christina Zhang, senior director of corporate strategy at DJI. “With DJI Dock 2, we’re delivering a cost-effective automated aerial solution to complete these jobs efficiently from a safe distance.”

DJI claims Dock 2 can capture higher-precision images and fly longer than other drone in a box solutions. The solution is 75 percent smaller and 68 percent lighter than the company’s previous generation, with a weight of 75 pounds and volume of 3.5 square feet. Its batteries can be wirelessly charged from 20 to 90 percent in just over half an hour.

Dock 2 is designed to automate aerial missions such as surveying, inspections, and mapping. The system can be programmed to automate missions, though operators at any time can step in to control the flight and gimbal angle. They can also remotely observe weather, environmental, and takeoff and landing conditions through internal and external lenses.

The system is installed on-site and can be carried by two adults, which DJI says makes it more cost effective than its predecessor. Before deploying a drone, it uses vision sensors to ensure the flight path and destination have adequate GNSS signals, reducing the site selection process from five hours to about 12 minutes, the company claims.

Dock 2 was built to accommodate two new, specially designed drones, the DJI Matrice 3D and Matrice 3TD. Both models have an estimated flight time of 50 minutes and operating radius of 6 sm (5.2 nm), capable of recharging for 400 cycles. Each includes real-time kinematic (RTK) antennas, omnidirectional sensing, and automatic obstacle avoidance.

Matrice 3D is designed for automated, 1:500 high-precision surveying and mapping missions, using a telecamera and wide camera with mechanical shutter. The 3TD is built for inspections and security surveillance, using the same tele camera and a different wide camera. The latter also includes an infrared camera, which depicts visible light and thermal images.

Dock 2 and the two drones are compatible with DJI’s FlightHub 2 software, which allows users to manage automated missions through a cloud-based platform. Flight data collected by the software could be used to create precise 3D models, allowing operators to program the drone’s camera to capture the same area during recurrent flights. This could enable automation of routine surveying operations, for example.

Operators can also use FlightHub 2’s online weather forecasting application to send warnings and terminate flight tasks as needed. The software gauges rainfall, wind speed, and temperature to identify real-time weather changes. Dock 2 is rated to IP55 and Matrice 3D and 3TD to IP54, meaning the technology offers some protection from dust and water.

DJI claims maintenance on the Dock 2 system is only required every six months. In addition, the system can operate independently for up to five hours using a built-in battery, giving the drone plenty of time to return and land in the case of a power outage.

The company also says it supports an open ecosystem for Dock 2, allowing operators to use both the company’s and third-party software and payloads. Matrice 3D and 3TD, for example, can carry third-party loudspeakers, spotlights, or parachutes using the company’s E-Port and E-Port Lite kits (both are sold separately).

The intended customers for Dock 2 are likely public safety and law enforcement agencies, which could deploy the system for a range of potential use cases. However, state lawmakers in Florida and Arkansas have already enacted bans on Chinese-manufactured drones for their respective agencies. More states could follow as federal lawmakers continue efforts to restrict the drones’ use by agencies such as the Department of Defense.

A 2022 Washington Post report revealed that DJI, despite claims to the contrary, has received funding from “several state-backed investors,” including the state-owned SDIC Unity Capital fund. However, the manufacturer has denied allegations of government control over its activities, such as that China could compel it to aid in espionage activities. Users must opt in to share data such as flight logs, photos, or videos with the company—none of that information is collected by default, it claims.

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Boston-based Merlin Labs—the maker of a platform-agnostic, takeoff-to-touchdown autonomy system for fixed-wing aircraft—on Wednesday announced it obtained Part 135 certification from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of New Zealand for future air freight operations in the country. The regulator’s Part 135 covers air operations for helicopters and small airplanes.

Certification of the Merlin’s flagship Merlin Pilot system follows U.S. military airworthiness approvals for fellow automated flight systems providers Xwing and Reliable Robotics, handed out by the U.S. Air Force.

“Achieving an organizational Part 135 certification gives us the opportunity to work with a forward-thinking regulator as well as leverage New Zealand as a sandbox for our current and future products,” said Matt George, founder and CEO of Merlin. “This milestone enables us to continue progressing our technical maturity, ultimately validating the safety and operational effectiveness of the Merlin Pilot for [CAA] Part 23 certification and beyond.”

Merlin’s Part 135 certificate will allow it to perform critical data collection flights on certain regional freight routes following CAA product certification of Merlin Pilot. The company achieved a state of involvement (SOI) 1 milestone for the system in May, putting it on “a viable path to certification and commercial operation,” it said.

According to Merlin, data collected on those freight routes will be essential for “future development decisions that will be implemented globally.” The findings will also support Merlin Pilot certification with both the CAA and FAA, it said.

The company’s Part 135 certification will further allow it to leverage its dedicated test facility in Kerikeri, New Zealand, opened in May, for current and future products once they’re certified.

Merlin said it has made notable progress on its organizational and product certification since its Project Specific Certification Plan (PSCP) was approved by the CAA—in partnership with the FAA—in 2021. At the time, it claimed to be the first company to reach an agreement with a regulator on an approach to certification for autonomous aircraft tech.

Since then, Merlin was contracted by the FAA to perform what it said was the first air cargo network trials flown by a non-human pilot, which it completed successfully in Alaska in July.

The company also has a relationship with the U.S. Air Force. Last week, the two agreed to conduct in-flight demonstrations of Merlin Pilot aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker, which is used by the military for aerial refueling. Those trials will begin next year. The exercise is a follow-up to a 2022 Air Force contract to test the system on a single-pilot Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules, which is normally commanded by two pilots.

Through innovation arm AFWERX, the Air Force is also collaborating with autonomous flight systems providers Xwing and Reliable Robotics. Both firms were approved to fly in unrestricted airspace in the past 30 days as the military and FAA begin to ramp up their pursuit of autonomy.

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Reliable Robotics, which completed the landmark flight using its remotely operated aircraft system (ROAS), claims to be the first in the industry to agree on a testing and analysis campaign for these systems with the FAA. The company will demonstrate how its ROAS aligns with the regulator’s safety and performance requirements for operations in the contiguous U.S. and Alaska.

“We are immensely pleased with the FAA and the positive working relationship we’ve established together—it is clear that we share the common goal of improving aircraft safety through automation,” said Chris Schulenberg, certification program manager at Reliable.

Reliable’s ROAS is intended to reduce or eliminate accidents due to pilot error or impairment, such as controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and loss of control in flight (LOC-I), which it says account for the bulk of fatal aviation accidents. Initially, the firm will supplement personnel in the cockpit rather than replace them. It intends for operations to include a single onboard pilot to perform “abnormal procedures.”

The means of compliance for assessing the ROAS’ navigation and autopilot systems have been accepted through the FAA’s issue paper process. The blueprint sets out criteria for approving the technology and comprises a portion of the company’s supplemental type certification (STC) process.

That campaign kicked off in 2022, when the FAA approved Reliable’s G-1 issue paper. The G-1 defines the certification basis for its STC on the Cessna Caravan, including navigation and autopilot systems. The company’s certification plan for continuous autopilot engagement—a road map that uses existing FAA regulations and processes for normal and transport category aircraft, with no special conditions or exemptions—was accepted in June.

The regulator has also conducted several test flights with Reliable through its Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Airspace Management Demonstration program, culminating in its signoff on December’s historic flight. The Caravan used in that demonstration—a loan from potential customer FedEx—is one of many Reliable intends to retrofit with its automated tech. 

The company is working with both Textron Aviation and Textron eAviation—the sustainable flight subsidiary of Textron—to install its ROAS onto the popular model. Textron has delivered more than 3,000 Caravans, making it one of the most widely used turboprops in the world. Reliable’s remotely piloted Caravan could introduce same- or next-day shipments of time-sensitive deliveries to locations currently served by piloted models.

However, the firm’s tech is also designed to be aircraft agnostic. It could one day be equipped on other Textron designs or those of different manufacturers. The company says this could even include cargo aircraft designed for 3,000-plus-pound payloads—small cargo aircraft are a possible candidate for early autonomous operations, with low risk due to the lack of passengers.

In addition to the FAA, Reliable has completed watershed technology demonstrations with NASA and AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force. In January, it was awarded military airworthiness approval to begin further flight testing and perform operational missions for the Air Force using remotely piloted aircraft.

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Reliable Robotics, which in November completed the first flight of a Cessna 208B Caravan with no one on board, received military airworthiness approval to begin flight testing and operational missions of remotely piloted aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. The company will demonstrate its dual-use automated flight capabilities for military use cases such as cargo missions.

Reliable’s remotely operated aircraft system (ROAS) completed an airworthiness assessment comprising a comprehensive safety analysis, maintenance and operational evaluations, and testing of its automated flight tech. 

The approval is the latest milestone in the company’s Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force. That collaboration began in 2021. Since then, Reliable has conducted a demonstration flight at California’s Travis Air Force Base and been contracted by AFWERX to study the possibility of automating large multiengine jets.

Now, the firm is one of only a few in the emerging aviation space with military airworthiness under its belt. Beta Technologies received the first such approval for an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design in 2021. Lift Aircraft, maker of the Hexa personal eVTOL, nabbed one the following year. Other manufacturers of novel tech, such as Archer Aviation, also maintain relationships with AFWERX and the Department of Defense.

“Our AFWERX partners are developing exciting automation technologies through robust engineering and flight test campaigns,” said Hank “Hog” Griffiths, AFWERX airworthiness and test lead. “The technology is maturing rapidly and this airworthiness approval for a certified aircraft retrofitted with an autonomous flight system provides significant opportunities for the military.”

ROAS allows pilots to safely operate aircraft from the ground, which could alleviate the sting of pilot shortages. Some even argue automated flight tech could one day be safer than crewed flight.

Reliable is developing the aircraft agnostic system to automate all phases of flight—from taxi to takeoff to landing—for any design. That includes cargo aircraft designed for payloads north of 3,000 pounds.

The company has an entrenched relationship with Textron Aviation and Textron eAviation—the manufacturer’s sustainable flight arm—to retrofit ROAS onto additional Caravans. Textron has delivered more than 3,000 of the aircraft, making it one of the most widely used turboprops in the world.

ROAS’ continuous autopilot system relies on advanced navigation and multiple redundant layers to reach a level of reliability equal to crewed flight, Reliable claims. It includes automatic braking and is positioned as being able to prevent both controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and loss of control in flight (LOC-I), according to the company.

Redundant hardware and software automate the flight control surfaces and engine controls. Similarly redundant voice and data networks, meanwhile, enable remote command and radio management for pilots.

“Nothing compares to showcasing how our autonomous flight capabilities will immediately enable new ways for the U.S. Air Force and other departments of the military to lead with innovation, improve safety, and project power across the globe,” said former Air Force Major General David O’Brien, senior vice president of government solutions at Reliable.

But Reliable is looking beyond defense use cases. ROAS—capable of automating aircraft with useful loads as high as 3,000 pounds or the ability to take off from shorter runways—could one day enable time-sensitive deliveries to locations currently served by piloted Caravans. In 2022, the company announced plans to launch a fully owned Part 135 airline subsidiary led by former Ameriflight executives.

In addition to its collaboration with the Air Force, Reliable has also demonstrated automated flight capabilities for NASA and the FAA, the latter of which formally accepted the firm’s certification plan in June. The company capped off 2023 with its historic cargo flight, keeping an uncrewed Caravan in the air for 12 minutes.

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The post Reliable Robotics Earns Military Airworthiness for Remotely Piloted Caravan appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Now for this week’s top story:

Historic Cargo Flight With Uncrewed Cessna Caravan

What happened? You’ve never seen a Cessna like this before—in fact, the world hadn’t, until this week. On Monday, Mountain View, California-based Reliable Robotics released footage of its November flight of a 208B Caravan, modified with its remotely operated aircraft system to fly without a pilot in the cockpit. The company claimed the feat is an aviation first.

How it works: Reliable’s uncrewed, FAA-approved flight—operated remotely from a control center 50 miles away—lasted about 12 minutes. But while the jaunt was relatively brief, it helped validate the firm’s technology, which automates all phases of flight from taxi to takeoff to landing. Control surfaces and engine controls, for example, are adjusted automatically.

A continuous autopilot system equipped with advanced navigation technology prevents common causes of aviation accidents, such as controlled flight into terrain or loss of control in flight. However, redundant voice and data networks allowed the modified Cessna to be commanded remotely. Other models could be equipped with the system too, since it’s aircraft agnostic.

Has automated aviation arrived? Well, not quite. Reliable and other automated flight systems developers still need to certify their tech, but they’re getting closer. The FAA in June accepted Reliable’s formal certification plan, which relies on existing regulations for normal and transport category aircraft and contains no special conditions or exceptions. In addition to test flights with the regulator, the company has demonstrated its system for NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

But it’s looking beyond defense use cases. Reliable plans to start a fully owned Part 135 airline subsidiary for automated commercial cargo flights. It’s also working with ASL Aviation Holdings to automate its fleet of more than 160 aircraft, which service Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Quick quote: “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 Colonel Elliott Leigh, director of Air Force innovation arm AFWERX and the department’s chief commercialization officer.

My take: Automated flight systems are still in the early stages of development, but there is potential down the line for them to become ubiquitous. Some, such as autolanding, already are. Fully automated flight is another story.

Reliable is working with Textron Aviation and Textron eAviation to convert more Caravans, which are some of the most widely used turboprops in the world. Others such as Xwing and Merlin are building similar tech. But their success will depend on safety. Some believe automated systems will be more effective than pilots at reducing the risk of accidents. For now, though, humans have demonstrated the capacity for safe, routine, commercial flights—and automation simply hasn’t.

The cargo sector, which removes the risk of carrying humans, will likely be the first to adopt automated flight. That’s where Reliable is looking first. Others, who are eyeing the passenger segment, may need to wait on regulations and certification.

Deep dive: Reliable Robotics Completes Historic Cargo Flight—With No One on Board

In Other News…

Ampaire’s Modified Cessna Breaks Endurance Record

What happened? Historic Cessna flights pique your interest? How about another one: A Cessna 337 Skymaster equipped with hybrid-electric propulsion made a 12-hour, 1,375-mile trip. Ampaire, the maker of said propulsion system, believes the feat to be an endurance record. The previous high-water mark? Another Ampaire flight in 2022.

How about hybrid? Impressively, Ampaire’s Electric EEL demonstrator touched down with more than two hours of battery and fuel reserves remaining. That should be reassuring for the company—it claims the EEL offers a greater payload, cuts more emissions, and can be certified faster than hydrogen-powered designs. But hydrogen still has the advantage of range.

Ampaire went with hybrid propulsion because it believes it can take advantage of hydrogen fuel efficiency while weaving in the benefits of an all-electric system. Its designs are projected to reduce emissions less than the latter, but they’ll add greater range and payload while requiring less infrastructure. Plus, Ampaire believes it can certify its flagship model in 2024.

Deep dive: 12-Hour Hybrid-Electric Flight Sets New Endurance Record

This Strange Aircraft Could Come to Your Local Public Safety Agency

What happened? The funky-looking aircraft above is called Hexa—and it’s now on sale. Lift Aircraft, the manufacturer behind the unique, single-seat design, announced it will allocate five aircraft for public safety customers such as police and fire departments, emergency medical services, and first responders. Eventually, it’ll be available for personal use.

Anyone can fly: Lift enters the market with a unique proposition: an aircraft that anyone can learn to fly within an hour. Hexa qualifies as a Part 103 ultralight, which means the FAA doesn’t require a pilot certification to fly it. That may be a boon for public safety agencies, which could fly it for firefighting, supply drops, or air ambulance services without needing a licensed pilot.

Lift’s vision is for customers to one day walk into a vertiport, train for less than an hour, and leave flying their own personal eVTOL. The company actually has an agreement with helicopter tour operator Charm Aviation to bring Hexa to downtown Manhattan. But public safety customers will get the first crack at it.

Deep Dive: Lift Aircraft Sells Outlandish, Ultralight Personal eVTOL to Public Safety Agencies

And a Few More Headlines:

• NASA’s Voyager 1 probe can’t phone home, and it could take engineers weeks to fix the problem.

• Sean Cassidy stepped down as head of safety for Amazon’s drone arm, where he served as its main liaison to the FAA.

• The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will collaborate with Google to decarbonize aviation.

• Textron Aviation announced a carbon offset program for its turbine aircraft customers.

• Air taxi startup AIBot chose Honeywell to develop the flight controls for its autonomous eVTOL design.

Spotlight on…

Maeve Aerospace

Dutch manufacturer Maeve Aerospace broke onto the scene in 2021 with its concept for a 44-passenger, all-electric regional jet. This week it came out with an even more ambitious design.

Maeve on Monday unveiled the M80: a hybrid-electric model for up to 80 passengers that it says fuses the performance of a jet, the efficiency and economics of a turboprop, and the emissions reduction of an all-electric aircraft. That combination is an attractive proposition—if the company can make it happen.

The M80 is scheduled for arrival in 2031, which should give Maeve plenty of time to refine its unique architecture. The secret sauce is the aircraft’s engine: It runs on electric battery packs and an aviation fuel of the operator’s choice, including power-to-liquid (PtL) and other forms of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Combined with a redesigned airframe, the engine can reduce emissions to near zero and fuel burn by 40 percent—which, according to Maeve, will keep trip costs low.

Plus, airports won’t need to install electric infrastructure to welcome the M80. The aircraft’s batteries are only needed for takeoff and climb. In cruise, an altitude optimized thermal engine takes over, which allows the aircraft to charge its own batteries during descent, Maeve said.

Deep Dive: The Efficiency of a Turboprop, the Performance of a Jet: Meet Maeve’s M80

On the Horizon…

Will the FAA ever be reauthorized? The answer is almost certainly yes, but it may not happen soon.

On Tuesday, federal lawmakers extended the deadline for reauthorization to March 8, just a few months after it was stretched to December 31. The second extension will keep the agency funded into the new year. However, industry stakeholders are getting antsy about the long-term outlook. Reauthorization would secure the FAA funding for the next half-decade, but it would also introduce new standards for air traffic control, pilot retirement, and advanced air mobility (AAM). For now, though, Senators continue to quibble over certain provisions.

Simultaneously, lawmakers are working to bolster American defenses against rogue drones. The State Department this week hosted its first counter-drone policy forum workshop, which brought together stakeholders from the governments of the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Attendees shared their countries’ respective goals and challenges. For the U.S., that could be useful—according to reports, federal authority to down drones expired last month.

Also in the works is a bipartisan bill called the NASA Talent Exchange Program Act. The legislation would assign NASA employees to temporary aerospace industry positions, and vice versa, creating new linkages between the regulator and other stakeholders.

Across the pond, we’ve got a trio of updates from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Perhaps the most notable is the launch of an Innovative Air Mobility Hub for stakeholders to exchange information on technologies such as air taxis and drones.

The European regulator also published what should become a key document for eVTOL aircraft firms: the first standards (and limitations) on eVTOL noise. Since electric air taxis are expected to fly over people in crowded urban areas at low altitude, keeping noise to a minimum will be crucial. Among other provisions, EASA will require operators to measure noise during takeoff, overflight, approach, and hover.

And finally, there’s been a leadership shakeup at the top of the agency. EASA named Luc Tytgat as acting executive director in September following the departure of Patrick Ky. But this week it picked Florian Guillermet, director of France’s air navigation services provider, as a permanent replacement.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium—February 6-8 in Silicon Valley, California
• Drone Show Korea 2024—March 6-8 in Busan, South Korea
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—March 17-19 in Jerusalem
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 
• Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 80—May 7-9 in Montreal

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The post You’ve Never Seen Cessnas Like These Before appeared first on FLYING Magazine.