Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

The U.S. Air Force has evaluated MightyFly’s Cento cargo drone for various logistics roles under an SBIR Phase II contract as part of the Afwerx research and development program. On June 27, the company reported that it conducted a live flight demonstration with the autonomously operated aircraft on May 8 at New Jerusalem Airport in California.
According to MightyFly, the trials involved “a Department of Defense-relevant mission” that demonstrated the Cento’s autonomous flight capability, as well as the company’s patented Autonomous Load Mastering System (ALMS). This technology handles all aspects of cargo loading, onboard package management, and balance management.
During the demonstration, the Cento, which has a payload of 100 pounds, carried a pair of large boxes between two points. The ALMS autonomously positioned and secured the boxes in the cargo compartment before closing the nose cone prior to takeoff. After landing, the packages were ejected from the aircraft without human intervention before departure to another location.
MightyFly is developing a family of cargo drones with payloads ranging from 100 to 500 pounds. In addition to military use cases, it is looking to support various medical and logistics applications. It has been testing the Cento in an <a href="https://youtu.be/gpkFKu_wW3w?si=Lpt-U9gIqvy7B6yW">FAA-approved airspace test site</a> since March 2024. Around the same time, the company received the FAA's approval for a flight corridor between New Jerusalem and Byron airports, but will not use this until it has acheived a transition flight with the Cento, which is anticipated later this year.
According to Fernanda Sausen, MightFly's senior director of business development, the company anticipates being ready to start the proof-of-concept phase of the program in the near term. She said it is working to achieve a phased roll-out of commercial operations for the aircraft as various regulatory milestones are reached.

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

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News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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