FAA Reports First Remotely Piloted eVTOL Test Flight Under eIPP Using Elroy Air's Chaparral Hybrid-Electric Cargo Aircraft
Why It MattersThe test feeds FAA efforts to identify airspace-integration gaps for advanced air mobility, a step that shapes how remotely piloted cargo eVTOLs may eventually gain broader operating access.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced on 31 August that Elroy Air and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development conducted a hybrid-electric demonstration flight at Houma-Terrebonne Airport in Louisiana, testing cargo deliveries with a remotely piloted aircraft. The flight marked the first remotely piloted aircraft test under the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), using Elroy Air's Chaparral aircraft, an automated hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing system designed to carry heavy cargo between non-traditional sites.
In March 2026, the US Department of Transportation selected eight projects across 26 states for the eIPP, including the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. The FAA said it will use findings from these demonstrations to identify gaps, improve procedures, and support the safe integration of advanced air mobility into the National Airspace System, and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and other eIPP participants are planning additional test flights for the rest of the year.
