TAMPA, Fla. – At MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, KC-135 Stratotankers fly around the world to refuel fighters in mid-air, but one takeoff served a different purpose.
Merlin engineers were on board. It is a new technology, aided by artificial intelligence, that allows an airplane to fly without a pilot. It is an autonomous flight system.
Sensors on board monitor the flight instruments, engines and the environment around the aircraft. It uses actuators like a pilot’s hands to pull the yolk or flip switches.
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“What makes Merlin unique is that you execute the entire plan from start to finish, press a button and hit ‘go,’” says Mark Ward, Merlin’s vice president of flight operations.
The company said autonomous flights with artificial intelligence would improve efficiency and safety for flight crews. It has been tested on smaller aircraft.
“We’re building a pilot that can move from different aircraft. It will get smarter and smarter. It will learn as it goes, and that will in turn make airways safer,” said Merlin team member Ashley Pelzek.
For starters, Merlin could only replace the co-pilot, reducing the crew size for efficiency.
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On Tuesday, the Air Force accepted Merlin’s airworthiness plan for the KC-135. It is a step towards fully testing a flying tanker without a pilot, but with a lot of technology.
Merlin is planning a new round of testing, but it is not yet known where it will take place.
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