No pilot, no problem: Xwing tests self-flying cargo plane, paves future for autonomous flight
FOX Business takes a test flight in Xwing’s self-flying cargo carrier called ‘Superpilot’
FOX Business' Grady Trimble reports from Concord, California, where Xwing is testing flight operations of its 'Superpilot' cargo carrier.
Following successful test flights of its self-flying cargo carrier system, tech startup Xwing is hoping its innovation will revolutionize the airline industry and serve as a possible solution to a growing pilot shortage.
"There's no reason why, down the road, you won't be able to get into a small aircraft and travel these distances much more efficiently than you can today with a car," Xwing CEO and founder Marc Piette told FOX Business’ Grady Trimble Friday from its mission control in Concord, California.
Xwing’s "Superpilot" autonomous flying system utilizes both hardware and software to operate and is managed remotely by a ground crew. During testing phases, there’s a safety pilot onboard.
REGIONAL AIRLINE HAS SOLUTION FOR PILOT SHORTAGE
"We can fly to remote areas, we can fly over non-densely populated areas, we can fly without passengers onboard," Xwing Chief Technology Officer Maxime Gariel also told Trimble on "Varney & Co." "Packages don’t really care if there’s a pilot in the front or not."
Xwing found and CEO Marc Piette said its self-flying "Superpilot" technology can carry cargo "much more efficiently" than ground transportation on "Varney & Co." Friday, October 14, 2022. (Getty Images)
Xwing has completed 10,425 piloted flights, traveling nearly 1.2 million miles and carrying a total of 5.6 million pounds of cargo, its website claims.
According to the product description for the "Superpilot" technology, flight data collected over time will give the software the ability "to learn, adapt and improve continuously based on real world scenarios."
Its founder and CEO claimed the aircraft technology will come at an affordable price, and predicted autonomous passenger flights could be commonplace in the next decade.
"It can be as affordable as driving on a per-mile basis," Piette said. "We do think people will be getting into remotely supervised or operated aircraft by the end of this decade, especially for regional routes and smaller aircraft, it’s entirely doable."
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Marc Piette, CEO of Xwing, poses for a photograph next a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan which has been outfitted with autonomous flying equipment at Xwing headquarters in Concord, California on May 3, 2022. (Getty Images)
Xwing’s goal is to begin cargo flights from one small airport to another, completely without a pilot, by 2025.
"We are taking a very pragmatic approach to deploying this technology," Gariel noted.
After joining a test flight in the Xwing plane, Trimble noted the timeliness of the new technology for the struggling aviation industry.
"With the pilot shortage as bad as it is now, and expected to get even worse over the next decade, this type of technology could really revolutionize the industry and certainly help solve that problem to some degree," Trimble reported.
10/17/22: This story was updated to clarify Superpilot’s awaited certification for transport as well as the technology’s role in the experimental aircraft.