Merlin gets FAA contract for automated cargo flight demos

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded Merlin a $1 million contract to demonstrate a highly automated flight control system in conjunction with a safety pilot. Merlin, a “developer of safe autonomous flight technology for fixed-wing aircraft”, said the FAA designated the University of Alaska Fairbanks UAS Test Site as the location for the tests, which will be undertaken in the second quarter of 2023 with Everts, an air cargo carrier. “Alaska’s terrain and inclement weather can challenge the most experienced pilots. And yet remote communities rely on air cargo deliveries for vital supplies such as milk, mail, and medicine.