Joby Autonomous Caravan Flies Cross-Country Without Pilot Input

Multi-leg flight comprises first half of monthlong journey from California to North Carolina and back.

Jack Daleo

Friday, September 18, 2026 at 02:30 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Joby’s J208 aircraft, an autonomous Cessna Caravan equipped with autonomous technology, soars past Bodie Island Lighthouse near Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. [Credit: Joby Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Joby Aviation successfully completed the first fully autonomous, coast-to-coast flight across the U.S. using a converted Cessna 208 Grand Caravan.
The aircraft covered nearly 3,200 miles from California to North Carolina without any human pilot control inputs, autonomously handling all flight phases and rerouting around severe weather, while being supervised remotely.
Joby, which acquired the autonomous flight technology from Xwing, aims to use this system for various applications including logistics, disaster relief, and military operations, with plans to integrate it into its future eVTOL aircraft.

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A converted Cessna 208 Grand Caravan equipped with autonomy technology completed what its owner, Joby Aviation, said was the first fully autonomous, coast-to-coast journey across the U.S.

Joby, which has spent most of its existence developing a piloted eVTOL air taxi but in recent years began exploring autonomy, said Friday that the Caravan covered almost 3,200 miles on the journey from California to North Carolina, which began earlier in September. The company said the aircraft’s onboard human safety pilot made zero control inputs during the multi-leg mission, marking a new capability milestone for its proprietary technology.