Reliable Robotics makes FAA certification progress, completes USAF demonstration

Reliable Robotics announced Monday that it was making certification progress with the FAA's acceptance of requirements for its advanced aircraft navigation and autopilot systems. The advanced systems provide continuous autopilot engagement throughout all phases of flight. "We are immensely pleased with the FAA and the positive working relationship we've established together - it is clear that we share the common goal of improving aircraft safety through automation," said Chris Schulenberg, Reliable's certification program manager. Reliable and the FAA have established an agreement on the testing and analysis to be performed to prove the highly automated systems satisfy FAA safety and performance requirements for operations throughout the conterminous U.S. and Alaska. The systems provide autopilot engagement through taxi, takeoff and landing. The high-integrity navigation and continuous autopilot engagement systems are crucial to Reliable's path to reduce or eliminate controlled flight into terrain and loss of control in flight, the two most common causes of deadly aviation crashes. The agreed-upon means of compliance were coordinated and accepted through the FAA's issue paper process, providing the clear requirements for approval as part of the company's ongoing Supplemental Type Certificate project. The FAA accepted Reliable's certification plan in June 2023 and provided a roadmap for certification using existing regulations and processes. The year prior, the FAA agreed to the certification basis for the continuous autopilot engagement through the G-1 issue paper process. In December, Reliable achieved an aviation first when it completed a successful flight of an uncrewed Cessna 208B Caravan in California. A remote pilot supervised the aircraft from a Reliable control center 50 miles away. Reliable has collaborated with Textron Aviation and the U.S. Air Force. On Wednesday Reliable shared that it had completed a demonstration for the Department of the Air Force's AFWERX Autonomy Prime branch. Reliable demonstrated its autonomous flight system for intra-theater military logistics. This demonstration came after Reliable gained military airworthiness approval on Jan. 30. This approval signified a deeper level of engagement with the DOD and enabled future demonstrations for dual-use automated flight capabilities for military use cases, including cargo missions.RELATED STORIES:Wisk Aero, Reliable Robotics achieve uncrewed aircraft milestonesFAA approves Reliable Robotics advanced navigation and autoflight system for Cessna Caravan "Nothing compares to showcasing how our autonomous flight capabilities will immediately enable new ways for the U.S. Air Force and other departments of the military to lead with innovation, improve safety and project power across the globe," said Dr. David O'Brien, Major General (Ret.), and senior VP of government solutions at Reliable Robotics.