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Joby Completes First-Ever Fully Autonomous Flight Across the United States
Joby said the aircraft handled taxiing, takeoffs and landings on its own and flew with no control inputs from the onboard safety pilot.
- On Friday, September 18, 2026, Joby Aviation completed the first-ever autonomous flight across the United States, with a modified Cessna 208B Caravan traveling 3,199 miles from California to North Carolina without human control input.
- Joby acquired the autonomous flight division of Xwing in 2024, integrating the technology into the J208 aircraft after logging more than 400 flights and 800 automated flight hours in preparation.
- An onboard safety pilot remained present throughout but made zero control inputs, while remote operators supervised from facilities in California and South Carolina, navigating challenges like Phoenix, Arizona's busy airspace autonomously.
- Part of the 2026 Electric Skies tour, the mission included stops at Fort Worth Alliance Airport and Shaw Air Force Base to demonstrate autonomous aircraft capabilities for military logistics and supply delivery.
- The aircraft will return to the West Coast with planned stops in Louisville, Kentucky; Wichita, Kansas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Portland, Oregon over the next two weeks.
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Joby Aviation has travelled autonomously over 3,100 miles in the U.S. and is preparing systems for defense, medical transportation and cargo.
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