Textron Systems' Aerosonde UAS Completes First Vertiport Flights in Commercial Airspace Under Virginia AAM Smart Airspace Program
Why It MattersThe demonstration marks a step toward integrating uncrewed VTOL aircraft into commercial airspace via vertiport infrastructure, informing future advanced air mobility testing and airspace research programs.
Textron Systems Corporation has announced that its Aerosonde uncrewed aircraft system became the first UAS to fly in commercial airspace using two vertiports, in a demonstration conducted with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) at Virginia Tech. The flight supported the Virginia Advanced Air Mobility Smart Airspace Program, which launched in March 2025, with MAAP — one of seven FAA-designated UAS test sites — leading the program to research advanced air mobility aircraft using vertiports.
During the demonstration, the Aerosonde 4.7 VTOL UAS transited between the two vertiports over a two-and-a-half-hour flight, completing its mission at the Aerosonde Center of Excellence, Textron Systems' global logistics and training hub for the Aerosonde family of aircraft, which supports assembly, testing, and training.
The Aerosonde UAS has accumulated more than 750,000 flight hours supporting missions including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and electronic warfare. The platform is designed for both land- and sea-based operations and offers more than 40 payload options in VTOL and fixed-wing configurations.
