Joby Aviation completes 3,100-mile autonomous U.S. flight
Original: Joby Aviation’s 3,100-mile autonomous flight signals its push beyond electric air taxis
Why This Matters
Joby's defense and autonomy pivot shows eVTOL players building revenue bridges while awaiting air taxi certification.
Joby Aviation announced on September 18, 2026 that an aircraft equipped with its autonomy technology flew over 3,100 miles across the United States without any human pilot input. The flight, described as the first-ever autonomous cross-country flight in the U.S., included autonomous taxiing, takeoffs, navigation, and landings, supervised remotely from California and South Carolina.
Joby Aviation used a converted Cessna Caravan for what it calls the 'first-ever autonomous flight across the United States.' The aircraft was remotely supervised from Joby's California headquarters and Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina. A pilot was physically on board for regulatory compliance only — the aircraft handled every phase of flight autonomously. Joby said the return trip to the West Coast is still underway, with planned stops in Louisville, Kentucky, and Salt Lake City over the next two weeks.
The flight is a clear signal that Joby's ambitions stretch well past its core eVTOL air taxi program. The company's autonomy stack is designed to be retrofitted onto a wide range of conventional aircraft, targeting use cases including medical transport, disaster response, and defense logistics. A $17 million AFWERX contract with the U.S. Air Force is backing a regional airframe equipped with this system.
Joby's defense footprint has grown significantly. In August 2026, the company acquired Ohio-based Resonant Sciences — maker of radio frequency and sensor systems — for $500 million in cash and stock. That acquisition anchors a dedicated defense division at Joby covering turbine-electric and hydrogen-electric aircraft development alongside the autonomy stack. The company also has an existing agreement with L3Harris Technologies to explore hybrid gas-turbine vertical takeoff aircraft. Joby's FAA type certification pursuit for its all-electric air taxi continues in parallel.