Joby completes first autonomous US transcontinental flight
A 3,199-mile autonomous flight across the US demonstrates the potential of self-flying aircraft for commercial cargo, medical supplies and defence logistics, including operations in remote environments.
Joby Aviation has completed what it describes as the first autonomous flight across the United States, demonstrating its autonomy technology on a converted Cessna Caravan.
The aircraft covered 3,199 miles during the eastbound leg of a month-long cross-country tour, completing taxiing, takeoffs, navigation and landings without any control inputs from the onboard safety pilot. The flight was conducted under remote supervision from Joby’s Autonomy Headquarters in California and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, located up to 2,323 miles from the aircraft.
The demonstration highlighted the potential use of autonomous aircraft for commercial freight, medical transport, disaster response and defence logistics. By integrating its autonomous system with an already-certified aircraft, Joby said the approach could provide a scalable pathway for autonomous air logistics.
During the journey, the aircraft operated in high-density environments, including Phoenix Deer Valley, one of the busiest general aviation airports in the US. It also demonstrated the ability to reroute around severe weather and thunderstorms in real time without prior familiarity with the airports involved.
The aircraft completed the eastbound journey in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, near the site of the Wright brothers’ first powered flight.
JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby Aviation, said, “This journey across America offers a glimpse into a new era of aviation. Autonomy has an important role to play in the future of flight, allowing us to connect remote communities, deliver critical supplies, respond faster to disasters, support military operations, and keep pilots out of harm’s way.”
Completed eastbound milestones
As part of Joby’s 2026 Electric Skies tour, the eastbound leg of the journey included flight demonstrations, logistics showcases and operational milestones across several US locations.
The aircraft departed from Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, California, beginning the 3,199-mile autonomous transcontinental flight. In Phoenix, Arizona, Joby demonstrated dual-use autonomy technologies for defence, first responders and cargo applications under the uFLY coalition. At Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas, the company showcased the potential of autonomous freight operations at a major industrial logistics hub, while also marking Joby’s first air taxi eIPP flight under the White House-backed programme.
At Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, Joby demonstrated representative military flight operations and tactical defence capabilities. The eastbound journey concluded with an autonomous landing at Dare County Regional Airport in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, marking the completion of the transcontinental flight.
Honoring Aviation history at Kitty Hawk & expanding remote access
Following its transcontinental arrival, Joby’s J208 aircraft conducted a low pass near the First Flight Monument at Kitty Hawk, commemorating the Wright brothers’ first powered flight in 1903. It then landed at Dare County Regional Airport, demonstrating the potential for flexible and lower-cost autonomous flights to support point-to-point air logistics, including the delivery of medical supplies and emergency freight to remote and underserved communities.
In North Carolina, the flights supported NCDOT’s eLIFT-NC initiative focused on statewide healthcare logistics. Earlier flights in the western US contributed to UDOT’s multi-state uFLY coalition, which is evaluating the integration of high-altitude and extreme-environment operations into airspace managed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Proven operational track record
Joby’s autonomous technology has completed more than 400 flights and 800 hours of automated flight operations across controlled and uncontrolled airspace. The system builds on the autonomy technology acquired from Xwing in 2024 and has also been tested during three major US military exercises. During the Air Force’s Agile Flag exercise, the technology delivered critical replacement parts 24 hours faster than conventional logistics, while during REFORPAC, aircraft operating in Hawaii were remotely controlled from Guam, nearly 4,000 miles away.
Following the completion of the eastbound journey, the aircraft will begin its return westbound route, with planned stops in Raleigh, Fredericksburg/Washington, D.C., Louisville, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Salt Lake City and Portland.
California-based Joby Aviation is an aviation company developing aircraft, propulsion and autonomous flight technologies for commercial and defence applications. The company also operates Blade, an urban air mobility business providing passenger transportation services in the US and Europe.
