Xwing to join FAA traffic management research program

San Francisco, Calif.-based autonomous aircraft developer Xwing will participate in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Crosscutting Operations Strategy and Technical Assessment (COSTA) project to study commercial unmanned aircraft operations in complex operating environments. Working on COSTA acts as an enabler to certification efforts as Xwing will work directly with the FAA in a live flight environment focused on how large unmanned systems can be integrated into real air traffic control systems, the company told Cargo Facts. [caption id="attachment_416786" align="alignright" width="460"] COSTA testing will take place in Northern California through April 2023. (Photo/Xwing)[/caption] COSTA testing will take place in Northern California through April 2023, according to a statement. With a safety pilot onboard, Xwing’s modified Cessna 208 platform will rehearse automated operations in disaster and other wildfire scenarios alongside manned general aviation aircraft and air traffic control (ATC). The data collected during COSTA will measure the response time between ATC and autonomous aircraft, demonstrate how unmanned aircraft can operate in close proximity to other manned and unmanned operations, and test how information critical to autonomous flight is affected by the climate crisis, Xwing told Cargo Facts . The data collection will help the facilitation of operational approvals as the FAA will have a deep understanding of Xwing’s operations and will become a direct part of Xwing’s process, Xwing added. Xwing is one of two companies in the United States to have publicly announced plans to develop automated flight systems for future unmanned aircraft using the Cessna 208 Caravan as a research platform and testbed. In mid-November, Xwing announced that it was on track to earn a supplemental type certificate (STC) to install two remote sensor pods that provide data for Xwing’s “SuperPilot” system for the Cessna 208B by mid-2023. This comes a month after a previously announced agreement with NASA to collect data on autonomous flight. The unmanned aircraft developer has primarily been growing its Cessna 208B fleet by acquiring small cargo airlines and expanding its own Part 135 cargo airline operations to develop autonomous aircraft technology. Cargo Facts EMEA, the essential event for stakeholders in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will take place live Feb. 6-8 in Dubai. Register today to take advantage of early-bird pricing.

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