Autonomous plane finishes 1st ever cross-country flight across US
What's the story
An autonomous Cessna Caravan has made history by completing a cross-country flight across the United States. The journey, which started from Joby Aviation's headquarters in Concord, California on September 7, covered a distance of 5,148km without any human pilot on board. The aircraft was programmed to handle all aspects of the flight including taxiing, takeoff and landing.
Flight details
The aircraft made several stops along its journey
Instead of a direct route, the autonomous Cessna made several stops along its journey.
It landed at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina.
The aircraft also tackled various challenges during its flight such as thunderstorms and heavy air traffic at Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, one of the busiest general aviation airports in America.
Tribute
It also paid tribute to the Wright brothers
After completing its record-breaking journey on September 14, the aircraft flew over the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
This was a tribute to Orville and Wilbur Wright's first flight in 1903.
The autonomous plane is now headed back to California with planned stops in Washington DC, Kentucky, Kansas, Oklahoma, Utah, and Oregon.
Industry impact
A glimpse into the future of aviation
Joby Aviation's founder JoeBen Bevirt sees this achievement as a glimpse into the future of aviation.
Bevirt believes that autonomous flight can help connect remote communities, deliver critical supplies, and respond to disasters faster.
This isn't Joby's only innovation in air transit; earlier this year, they tested an electric air taxi in New York City which traveled from JFK Airport to Midtown in just 15 minutes.