FAA Awards Contract for Automated Cargo Network Flight Trials in Alaska

The Merlin Pilot will be the first automated flight control system to secure NAS integration, and aims to reduce workloads amid the ongoing pilot shortage.

Jack Daleo

Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 05:02 PM ET

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The test flights outlined under Merlin’s FAA contract will travel along three routes originating from the Fairbanks, Alaska test site. [Courtesy: Merlin]

Key Takeaways:

Merlin Labs secured a $1 million FAA contract to conduct flight trials for its "Merlin Pilot" system, an automated flight control system designed to reduce pilot workload and combat the ongoing pilot shortage.
These trials, launching in Q2 2023 in Alaska, aim to demonstrate the system's ability to improve safety and provide essential air cargo access to remote communities in challenging conditions.
Merlin Pilot enables single-pilot operations—already demonstrated with the U.S. Air Force on C-130s and KC-46s—rather than fully removing human pilots, offering a regulatory advantage over fully autonomous competitors.

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Less than a year removed from raising $105 million in fresh funding, Boston-based startup Merlin Labs is looking to shake up the aviation industry with renewed agency approval.

Having already secured partnerships with the U.S. Air Force, New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority and firms like Dynamic Aviation and Ameriflight, Merlin on Wednesday nabbed a $1 million contract from the Federal Aviation Administration to demonstrate Merlin Pilot, a highly automated flight control system designed to soften the workload of—and eventually remove—human pilots.