First U.S. Air Cargo Network Flown by a Non-Human Pilot

Boston-based Merlin Labs is an aviation technology concern endeavoring to perfect and deliver at scale a system by which conventional aircraft may be flown autonomously by arrays of sensors working in concert with powerful computers, AI algorithms, and electro-mechanical actuation hardware.

On 12 April 2023 it was announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had awarded Merlin a $1-million contract for purpose of demonstrating the capabilities of its autonomous flight architecture, dubbed Merlin Pilot, under the auspices of onboard safety pilots. Subject flight-testing was to be conducted in cooperation with Everts Air Cargo along three test routes, the entirety of which originate from the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI)—the University of Alaska Fairbanks’s FAA-designated UAS test site.

Comes now July 2023 and an announcement from Merlin setting forth the company has successfully completed 25 test flights of its Merlin Pilot system, reaching Fort Yukon, Galena, Huslia, Tanana. and Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

The flights totaled over sixty hours of systems-on, autonomous operations carried out by Merlin Pilot in a real-world environment featuring complex terrain and inclement weather. Data recorded over the test-flight campaign will be plied to the further maturation of Merlin Pilot’s in-flight capabilities. By dint of the Alaskan flight-tests, Merlin Pilot earned the distinction of being the first autonomous system integrated into the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS).

Dr. Cathy Cahill, ACUASI director at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’s Geophysical Institute, stated: “Operating in Alaska is a real challenge. I like to say we’re the final exam. If you can fly here you can fly anywhere as we deal with long distances, extreme climate variations, and limited communications coverage.”

Dr. Cahill added: “As we’ve learned in collaboration with Merlin’s team, it’s very apparent that they are doing this right. Their integrated approach to our unique ecosystem is one of the main reasons they were the first company with which we approached the FAA. They use real data to train the onboard automation system to ensure safety.”

Merlin Labs co-founder and CEO Matthew George remarked: “The data we’ve been able to gather from these flight trials is critical to the maturation of our in-flight technology, but also to our continued progression in certifying the Merlin Pilot. It’s exciting to know our technology can successfully reach remote locations in Alaska, proving an important application for autonomy; its ability to assist in dangerous missions. We’re incredibly thankful for the support and partnership of the FAA, Everts Air Cargo, and ACUASI. Our partners have been critical in our ability to progress the Merlin Pilot.”

That the Merlin Pilot system heralds the possible eradication of the piloting profession is a matter neither Dr. Cahill, Mr. George, the ACUASI, nor the FAA has yet deigned to address.

FMI: www.merlinlabs.com