Joby Aviation's Autonomous Plane Lands in South Carolina

America's first self-flying cargo plane

For the first time, a cargo plane traversed the United States without any ground control. The converted plane, a Cessna Caravan, took to the skies without pilot intervention, autonomously handling all aspects of flight. The team behind the feat, Joby Aviation, refitted the plane using software developed by its subsidiary, X-Wing, which navigated 3,199 miles. This flight begins with a successful proof for self-driving planes, especially in military applications.

The future of autonomous cargo travel

Before this, autonomous flight software was only a prototype and under flight testing. The company is part of a broader movement to bring autonomous vehicles to the skies. The company believes to bring autonomy to cargo travel. Joby Aviation believes that cargo transportation is a prime area for autonomous technology to prove its worth. The numerous stops the plane made—Concord, California, Phoenix, Fort Worth, and Shaw Air Force Base, SC—demonstrate the potential in fields like freight and medical supply transportation.

A fleet of self-piloting planes

This is Joby Aviation's signature technology: autonomous flight software Joby Aviation's converted Cessna Caravan was a model of efficiency, covering 3,199 miles across the United States without any human intervention. The plane was fitted with advanced autonomy software, which allowed the aircraft to be remotely controlled from a location as far as 2,323 miles away and flawlessly navigate busy airports.

Ground control automation

Joby Aviation flights have amassed 800 automated hours and 400 flights over the past year. Their autonomous flight software—developed by the company's subsidiary X-Wing—allowed the plane to autonomously handle the entire flight. The software controlled the plane’s takeoff, landing, navigating, flying through heavy traffic, and rerouting in real time when bad weather occurred.

In the sky

Safety measures were essential. Safety pilots were on board to monitor the flight from the start. California and South Carolina teams helped monitor and guide the flight from 2,323 miles away. The plane flew itself in the sky.

Handling weather and traffic

Joby Aviation's autonomous plane couldn’t be slowed down. Weather and traffic didn’t stand in the way. The plane made it through a busy airport and even rerouted around bad weather in real time. The technology makes on-the-spot decisions in emergencies. This shows how groundbreaking the autonomy software is.

Return flight and future plans

The Joby plane is a future model for autonomous flight. It is on its way back west, with more stops planned. The plane, with its 400 autonomous flights, is a massive leap for Joby Aviation. The company is working on commercializing its technology.

What's next?

The journey didn't end there for the plane. Joby Aviation is planning more flights and has plans to integrate the technology into other Joby Aviation planes. The plan isn’t just to pilot the plane itself, but to also utilize it for disaster relief. Joby Aviation is ready to take to the skies.

Choose your adventure

Are you interested in the future of autonomous flight? Joby Aviation has a plane that flies itself. To experience the technology, simulation flights are available where you travel in an autonomous flight.