FutureFlight
FAA Contracts Xwing to Conduct Autonomous Flight Trials Over Wildfires
Autonomous flight pioneer Xwing will conduct flight trials over California wildfires and other areas with flight restrictions to study how autonomous aircraft can safely integrate into the National Airspace System.
Xwing's experimental Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, modified with the company's "Superpilot" autonomous flight control system, is pictured during a flight test over California.
Xwing's experimental Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, modified with the company's "Superpilot" autonomous flight control system, is pictured during a flight test over California. (Photo: Xwing)

Xwing, a California-based company developing autonomous flight technology, has been contracted by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to participate in the agency’s Crosscutting Operations Strategy and Technical Assessment (COSTA) air traffic management research project, the company announced on December 1. 

As part of this project, Xwing will work together with the FAA and NASA, as well as partners at Alaska’s Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration, to study how remotely piloted aircraft can be safely integrated with the National Airspace System while flying in complex environments with flight restrictions, such as fire traffic areas where other aircraft are actively working to suppress wildfires. 

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