In California, USA, an aircraft that has become the talk of the Internet is much smaller, but it has a very different meaning, because it is the first time that a private agency aircraft has flown over a densely populated area without any personnel.
The Cessna 208 Car**an small aircraft, which recently flew unmanned over California, is equipped with autonomous flight technology developed by Reliable Robotics, which includes avionics, discovery, mechanisms, communications, remote command interface, and backup systems. According to Reliable Robotics, the modified small plane took off from Hollister Municipal Airport on November 21 with no personnel in the cockpit, only a pilot in the office 80 kilometers away, using a computer screen, mouse and keyboard for remote monitoring and command.
Reliable Robotics said that the entire test flight process, including taxi, take-off and landing, was fully automated, and the 12-minute test flight was successfully completed. According to Robert Rose, the company's CEO, the seemingly boring and uneventful take-off of the aircraft was the result of years of preparation to ensure that there were no surprises. Reliable Robotics has been testing since September 2019, but this is the first time it has flown in a densely populated area, and it has already been approved by civil aviation authorities in advance. Unmanned flight technology has piqued the interest of the US Air Force, and the two sides recently signed a partnership to explore the feasibility of missions such as cargo logistics and in-flight refueling.
data and ***sfchronicle