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Joby says autonomous Cessna Caravan crossed the U.S. with no onboard pilot inputs

September 18, 2026 at 13:32 EDT

Robotics
AI Agents

Joby Aviation said its autonomy-equipped J208, a converted Cessna Caravan, completed a 3,199-mile eastbound crossing of the United States with zero control inputs from the onboard safety pilot. The aircraft automated taxiing, takeoffs, route navigation and landings while being supervised remotely from as far as 2,323 miles away.

Sept. 18, 2026 · Joby Aviation

Autonomy crosses the U.S.

A converted Cessna Caravan completed a 3,199-mile eastbound leg with zero onboard pilot inputs, while remote supervision reached as far as 2,323 miles away.

3,199

miles across the United States

onboard safety-pilot inputs

2,323

miles of remote supervision

800+

automated flight hours

The scale of the flight

Vertical blocks compare the coast-to-coast leg with the farthest remote-supervision distance.

3,199 mi

Flight route

2,323 mi

Remote watch

What the aircraft automated

Taxi

→

Takeoff

→

Cruise

→

Landing

The crucial caveat

This was supervised autonomy, not a passenger service without human responsibility.

Pilot in Command

Ground-based Remote Pilot

Onboard role

Safety pilot made zero inputs

Near-term use

Logistics, response, defense

Why it matters

Gate-to-gate automation across varied airspace points toward freight, medical logistics and emergency-response missions.

What remains

Certification, rulemaking, public acceptance and human oversight still define the path to broader deployment.

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