A converted Cessna Caravan has flown more than 3,100 miles (about 5,000 kilometers) across the United States under autonomous control. The flight was run by Joby Aviation, the US maker of electric air taxis, which calls it the first autonomous flight across the country.
The route included stops in Louisville, Kentucky, and Salt Lake City. The return leg to the West Coast is planned over the next two weeks.
The aircraft taxied, took off, navigated and landed by itself. A pilot sat in the cockpit to satisfy regulations, but according to the company the aircraft did the flying.
Operators supervised the flight remotely from Joby's headquarters in California and from Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.
Beyond air taxis
TechCrunch reads the flight as a sign that Joby is looking for revenue beyond its electric vertical takeoff aircraft. The autonomy system is designed to be installed in conventional airplanes.
Joby holds a $17 million contract with AFWERX, the US Air Force innovation program. It plans a regional airframe carrying the autonomy stack for defense missions and commercial freight.
In August, the company bought Resonant Sciences, which builds radio frequency systems and sensors, for $500 million. Since 2025 it has also worked with L3Harris on a hybrid aircraft with a gas turbine for the military.
Alongside defense logistics, Joby lists medical transport and disaster response as uses for the technology.
