At Albuquerque International Sunport (KABQ), an autonomous Cessna 208B Grand Caravan has begun operating under a federal program designed to generate data on novel advanced air mobility aircraft.
The AAM activities began at the Sunport, New Mexico’s largest commercial airport that handles joint-use military and civilian traffic within Class C airspace. But they will soon expand to other airports in the region as general aviation and business aviation locations become a testing ground for future aviation technology.
“By putting the Sunport to work as a testing ground for the future of aviation, we’re helping bring new industries to New Mexico, strengthen our regional economy, and show what’s possible when we embrace innovation,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller in a news release from Reliable Robotics, which owns and operates the Caravan.
The flights, which according to the FAA took place last week, were not Reliable’s first at an airport. In April, the company completed data collection flights in and around the terminal area of Hollister Municipal Airport (KCVH) in California to help the FAA develop certification standards for large uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). Reliable also has a partnership with NASA that will allow it to conduct operational demonstration flights with the C-208 at and near airports across the U.S.
The company’s chief competitor, Merlin Labs, is also flying autonomously at U.S. airports. Merlin, which also conducts testing with the Caravan, made an autonomous landing at this year’s EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, in June, and it recently selected Rhode Island’s North Central State Airport (KSFZ) as its new flight test hub.
However, Reliable’s flights in Albuquerque were among the first autonomous flights under the federal eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), which includes activities using not only electric vertical takeoff and landing but also autonomous and remotely piloted aircraft. Another company, Elroy Air, recently conducted uncrewed autonomous operations in Louisiana.
The demonstrations, which are underway across the U.S., are intended to generate data for the FAA to help the agency create rules and guidance for the safe integration of the novel aircraft. Reliable said it plans to collect operational data throughout the program across increasingly complex operations.
The company’s activities in New Mexico are part of the only city-led eIPP project. There are eight in total, with most led by state transportation departments. A handful will include autonomous operations.
“We take seriously our responsibility to help inform the safe integration of these emerging technologies into the National Airspace System by providing the data and insights the FAA needs to develop appropriate policies and requirements for this evolving industry,” said Manny Manriquez, the city of Albuquerque’s director of aviation.
How It Works
Reliable conducted a two-day flight campaign with the Caravan, equipped with its Reliable Autonomy System (RAS).
The RAS is intended to address the most common causes of aviation accidents, such as controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and loss of control in flight (LOC-I). The aircraft-agnostic platform is designed for gate-to-gate automated operations using existing aviation infrastructure and certified aircraft.
The RAS also includes Reliable’s detect and avoid (DAA) system, which uses the company’s radar systems and the FAA’s Advanced Collision Avoidance System X (ACAS X) technology to automatically mitigate traffic conflicts.
Reliable said the Caravan had an onboard safety pilot but performed auto-taxi, auto-takeoff, and auto-landing operations. It was supervised by a remote pilot at the company’s California headquarters more than 700 miles away. Humans communicated with air traffic control. Merlin’s autonomy system, by contrast, does not require a human pilot for communication and is instead designed to use natural language processing algorithms.
Reliable has an FAA-accepted certification plan and means of compliance for continuous autopilot engagement. It is working toward certifying the RAS for U.S. operations using the Caravan, with the goal of enabling reduced-crew operations for customers.
The technology also supports military applications. Reliable has contracts with several branches of the military including the U.S. Air Force, which plans to deploy it operationally on real-world missions in the Indo-Pacific.
Next Steps for Autonomous Aircraft
According to the FAA, the City of Albuquerque Aviation Department and other eIPP participants are planning additional test flights throughout the rest of the year. Many of those activities will take place at GA and business aviation airports.
“We’re taking into account many variables, including traffic patterns, point-to-point visual flight rules (VFR) routes, controlled class B airspace with standard instrument departure and arrival procedures, and more,” said Sunil Chatani, eIPP team lead within the FAA’s Office of Advanced Air Mobility Technologies, in October blog post.
“The data we’re collecting can only improve operations for both air carriers and general aviation,” Chatani added. “Then, as these technologies become more advanced and regulatory pathways become standard, general aviation will incorporate them into a variety of beneficial use cases.”
The eIPP began in July and is expected to last three years. The city of Albuquerque-led project is focused on testing autonomy for regional air cargo operations, including deliveries to small, rural markets that lack aerial connectivity.
Reliable plans to conduct precertification commercial operations under the program. They will take the form of regional air cargo services operated by the company’s Part 135 subsidiary, Reliable Airlines. Albuquerque International Sunport is only the start as the aim is to fly cargo from the Sunport to Santa Fe Regional Airport (KSAF) in New Mexico and Durango-La Plata County Airport (KDRO) in Colorado.
New Mexico is the sixth location to launch under the eIPP, which is also underway in Texas, Utah, North Carolina, and other states across the eastern U.S. led by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
In addition to Reliable and Elroy, eVTOL air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation has also begun autonomous eIPP operations. Joby in September completed what it said was the first fully autonomous, coast-to-coast journey across the U.S., also using a modified Caravan.
Wisk Aero, which Boeing sold to Joby competitor Archer Aviation this year, is also part of the eIPP. It plans to evaluate autonomous flight operations on real routes in Texas airspace, though the company has indicated that those may come later in the program.
