Joby Aviation Marks a Milestone with 7,000-Mile Autonomous Flight Demonstration
Joby Aviation has recently made a significant breakthrough in its autonomous flight technology. The company logged an impressive 7,000 miles across more than 40 hours in a Cessna Caravan without a pilot. This groundbreaking demonstration took place during the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) military exercise over the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii.
The company’s Superpilot autonomous system, integrated into a Cessna Caravan 208 platform, successfully executed a series of operations. These included:
- Rapid cargo deliveries
- Hub-and-spoke logistics
- Inter-island transport
- Dynamic retasking
- Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance profiles
The autonomous flights were managed from ground control stations at various locations, primarily from more than 3,000 miles away at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.
“The exercise demonstrated Superpilot’s ability to operate in complex, real-world scenarios with the precision and reliability demanded by the U.S. government,” said Greg Bowles, Chief Policy Officer at Joby.
The flights were successfully conducted in all classes of airspace and under both visual and instrument flight rules. The Department of Defense has requested $9.4 billion in its fiscal 2026 budget to advance autonomous and hybrid aircraft.
The successful exercise positions Joby to compete for upcoming Department of Defense programs while also informing integration of autonomous capabilities into Joby’s commercial air taxi platform.