FAA Accepts Safety and Performance Capability of Reliable’s Navigation, Autopilot Systems

Reliable Robotics has hit another milestone on its way to FAA certification of its autopilot and navigation systems.

The company established an agreement with the FAA on what testing and analysis is required to show that the 'highly automated systems satisfy FAA safety and performance requirements for operations' throughout national airspace. The systems provide "continuous autopilot engagement throughout all phases of flight including automatic taxi, takeoff, and landing", allowing a garden variety Civil Aircraft to be operated remotely - or one day, As Reliable Robotics plans, autonomously.

Chris Schulenberg, the Certification Program Manager at Reliable Robotics, said they're "immensely pleased with the FAA and the positive working relationship we’ve established together", adding that "it is clear that we share the common goal of improving aircraft safety through automation." 

The firm saw its Certification Program accepted by the FAA in June of last year, laying out a roadmap for certification along the lines of existing FAA regs and processes. Reliable says that its 'accurate, high-integrity navigation and continuous autopilot engagement systems' will go very far in reducing or even eliminating controlled flight into terrain and loss of control in flight accidents.

FMI: www.reliable.co