AutoFlight Flies Five eVTOLs in Autonomous Formation Across Two Weight Classes
Why It MattersCoordinated multi-model, multi-weight operation moves low-altitude networks, which depend on mixed fleets sharing airspace, from single-aircraft demonstrations toward the fleet-level capability that commercial routes will require.
AutoFlight completed what it describes as a world-first formation flight involving five eVTOL aircraft across two weight classes. The demonstrations took place on October 31 and November 1 at its Bailian Lake Flight Test Base in Kunshan, China.
The formation consisted of one 5-ton V5000 Matrix and four 2-ton eVTOLs, spanning three models: the V5000 Matrix, the V2000CG CarryAll cargo eVTOL and the V2000CGF CarryAll firefighting eVTOL. The five aircraft flew a coordinated 47-minute flight, with the lead V5000 covering more than 133 km. The entire flight was conducted autonomously, with no manual intervention. Despite strong winds on November 1, the formation maintained stable flight and safe horizontal and vertical separation.
The events invited alumni representatives from the Stanford Executive Program (SEP) at Stanford Graduate School of Business, international eVTOL industry professionals, and AutoFlight customers and partners. Guests also visited Sunship, AutoFlight's water-based green vertiport on Dianshan Lake, and watched the formation flight from the lakeside.
The flight builds on AutoFlight's three-aircraft formation demonstration in May 2026 and marks further progress in coordinating multiple eVTOL models and weight classes. The company says it lays the technical foundation for future low-altitude transport networks connecting long-haul, regional and last-mile routes.
