Joby completes milestone long-distance Pacific flight with Superpilot technology

Joby Aviation has successfully tested its Superpilot autonomous system on a Cessna 208 over the Pacific Ocean and Hawaii, marking the first long-distance operational flight of this technology. 

The demonstration flight was part of the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) exercise, which was led by the US Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) between July 10 and August 8, 2025. The US-based electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer announced the successful demonstration on September 3, 2025. 

According to Joby, its Superpilot system, integrated into Cessna 208, completed several autonomous flights in the region, covering over 7,000 miles and accumulating 40 hours of flight time. A safety pilot was also onboard the aircraft to monitor the system’s performance.  

“The exercise demonstrated Superpilot’s ability to operate in complex, real-world scenarios with the precision and reliability demanded by the US government,” said Greg Bowles, Chief Policy Officer at Joby.  

The autonomous flights were managed from ground control stations at various locations throughout the exercise, primarily from more than 3,000 miles away at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam.  

Superpilot supports US military missions 

Joby’s Superpilot demonstrated it can provide “autonomous support” for the US government’s “urgent need for light intra-theater airlift”, the manufacturer said. 

The US Department of Defense has requested $9.4 billion in its FY26 budget to promote autonomous and hybrid aircraft, as the US Air Force is currently struggling to efficiently support low-volume, high-urgency and high-risk deliveries in large operational theaters.  

The manufacturer stated that the REFORPAC exercise confirmed that a light cargo aircraft equipped with Superpilot can fulfill this need, allowing larger and more expensive aircraft to be used for different missions. 

“REFORPAC was an opportunity to demonstrate the technology in a realistic environment and highlight the potential impact of these autonomous systems,” said Lt. Col. Jonathan Gilbert, AFWERX Prime division chief. “The lessons learned from this exercise participation are vital to guiding our focus.” 

So far, Superpilot has flown a total of 7,342 miles (11,816 kilometers) in 43.7 hours. During the exercise, the aircraft conducted six sorties, flying for 14 hours and covering 2,416 miles (3,888 kilometers). 

The campaign also featured a roundtrip ferry flight of 4,925 miles, with Superpilot successfully managing a Pacific Ocean crossing, landing, and taxiing at the destination airports. The post Joby completes milestone long-distance Pacific flight with Superpilot technology appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source