READY TAKEOFF?.... Can These Self-Flying Planes Transform the Skies?.... WALL STREET JOURNAL: Reliable Robotics is among startups hoping to revolutionize air travel by doing away with the need for human pilots on cargo, military and even passenger aircraft MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—“Aircraft should fly themselves!” is scrawled on a whiteboard at Reliable Robotics’ offices here. Recently two staff members watching on monitors tracked the flight path of a small airplane flying itself above northern California, about 40 miles away. The Cessna Caravan had a pilot aboard on standby, along with a flight-test engineer, but was otherwise on its own. They were testing a new collision-avoidance system and new radar that helps the plane see and avoid other aircraft. If all goes as planned, Reliable Robotics eventually won’t need any pilots on board its planes. It is among startups vying to revolutionize air travel by doing away with the need for human pilots on cargo, military and maybe even passenger aircraft. Autonomous flight is being tested at companies from giant aircraft makers to small startups. For now, cargo and military flights are the focus. Reliable recently signed a $17 million contract with the U.S. Air Force that involves testing autonomous cargo flights. Flying-taxi maker Joby Aviation also recently tested its own pilotless Cessna for the Air Force over the Pacific Ocean. Boeing and Airbus, the world’s leading makers of large commercial jets, have separately worked on introducing more automation in their aircraft, and both say the aim is to improve safety. The two companies have also examined fully autonomous flight, but say they aren’t working on commercial-jet designs that don’t include pilots in cockpits. Truly autonomous flight with human passengers will face a host of technical and regulatory hurdles, and—perhaps the most difficult of all—a tough sell to travelers. Pilots, the faces and voices of safety for the flying public, reassure during startling turbulence or other in-flight scares. Their presence conveys someone is there to save the day. “I don’t think we’re going to go full autonomy passenger operations immediately,” said Robert Rose, Reliable’s chief executive. “And the reason for that has more to do with passenger acceptance than it does the technology.”.... wsj.com/business/airlines/re… #AutonomousFlight, #SelfFlyingPlanes, #ReliableRobotics, #AviationInnovation, #PilotlessPlanes, #AirTravelFuture, #AerospaceTechnology, #CargoFlights, #MilitaryAviation, #PassengerAircraft, #CollisionAvoidance, #RadarSystems, #CessnaCaravan, #FlightTesting, #AirForceContract, #JobyAviation, #BoeingAutomation, #AirbusAutomation, #AviationSafety, #PilotlessTechnology, #AerospaceStartups, #FutureOfFlight, #AutonomousCargo, #FlyingTaxis, #AviationRegulations, #PassengerAcceptance, #TechInAviation, #AutonomousSystems, #AerospaceEngineering, #InnovationInFlight, #PilotlessFuture, #AirTravelSafety, #AutonomousVehicles, #AviationIndustry, #SelfFlyingTech, #AirForceTesting, #CommercialJets, #AviationChallenges, #PassengerConfidence, #FlightAutomation, #AerospaceAdvancements, #PilotRole, #AviationTrends, #TechnologyInFlight, #AutonomousAviation, #FutureSkies, #AerospaceNews, #FlightInnovation, #PilotlessCargo

Wild move by the Air Force! Using Cybertrucks as tough targets is kind of a Tesla flex, huh? Wonder if they’ll surprise us with what else they can handle. Anyone else picturing laser tag but with rockets? 🚀 #Tesla #AirForceTesting