A pilotless cargo hauler just spent a week crisscrossing the skies over Houma, Louisiana, and federal regulators were watching closely. Elroy Air says its autonomous, hybrid-electric Chaparral aircraft completed the first uncrewed flights under the Transportation Department and FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, which was launched under President Trump's "Unleashing American Drone Dominance" order, Gizmodo reports.
The Chaparral, which resembles an oversized drone with wings, can carry more than 500 pounds per trip for up to 450 miles. In the August demonstration flights, it carried packages, medical supplies, food, water, and toolkits while operating out of one of the nation's busiest rotorcraft airports under air-traffic control, Elroy Air CEO Andrew Clare said. The flights brought Chaparral closer to the company's mission of "moving heavy cargo autonomously, safely, and at scale for commercial operation," Clare said. The company declined to say how far the flights went, or whether they were operated beyond the visual line of sight, reports Aviation International News.
The FAA says the tests will help shape rules for integrating such aircraft into US airspace. Elroy Air is pitching Chaparral for commercial, military, and humanitarian use. The company was awarded a $46 million US Army contract last month. The Louisiana tests focused on whether the Chaparral and similar aircraft could transport cargo to remote energy sites in the Gulf Coast region, Gizmodo reports.
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