Elroy Air, Bristow Fly Autonomous Freighter in Louisiana

Heavy-lift cargo drone developer Elroy Air has completed the first uncrewed, autonomous flights conducted under the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program (eIPP), flying its hybrid-electric Chaparral freighter for a week of demonstrations at Houma-Terrebonne Airport (KHUM) in Louisiana in late August.

The Byron, California-based start-up flew the aircraft in collaboration with Bristow Group—a Houston-based offshore helicopter operator and Elroy Air’s launch partner—under Liftoff Louisiana, a state initiative led by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to test electric and autonomous VTOL aircraft.

Liftoff Louisiana leads one of eight projects selected for the eIPP; the project spans the Gulf Coast across Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, with electric aircraft developer Beta Technologies and aeromedical helicopter operator Metro Aviation also involved. Additionally, Beta has been flying its piloted, all-electric Alia CX300 airplane in the region daily for the past two weeks.

During the last week of August, the hybrid-electric Chaparral carried packages, medical supplies, toolboxes of spare parts, food, and jerry cans of water for delivery demonstrations at KHUM—an airport the company described as one of the nation’s busiest for helicopters. Elroy Air declined to say how many flights it flew, how far they went, or whether the flights were operated beyond visual line of sight.

“Through the eIPP, we’re working closely with the FAA as well as local and state officials to shape how uncrewed cargo aircraft operate in the National Airspace System,” Elroy Air CEO Andrew Clare said in a statement.

In August, the FAA announced separate eIPP demonstration flights in which Electra flew its piloted, hybrid-electric EL2 technology demonstrator between airports in Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, marking the first flights under the eIPP.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said Elroy Air’s first eIPP flights show how novel aircraft such as the Chaparral “can expand cargo delivery options to communities nationwide and improve our logistics infrastructure.”

“Our energy and government services customers need low-risk, high-tempo options for moving critical cargo across the Gulf Coast, and that’s exactly what Chaparral delivers,” added Dave Stepanek, Bristow’s executive vice president and chief transformation officer. “Louisiana is our core U.S. base of operations, and these flights bring us closer to offering our customers new ways to move freight offshore and across the region.”

Before arriving in Louisiana and beginning eIPP flights, the Chaparral prototype flew its first point-to-point delivery demonstration on Dec. 10, 2025, carrying 213 pounds over 2.6 miles in Byron to deliver a celebratory lunch to Elroy Air team members. The company advertises a payload capacity of more than 500 pounds and a maximum range of 450 miles for the Chaparral. 

In addition to commercial logistics, Elroy Air is pursuing defense applications for the Chaparral aircraft. Last month, the company won a $46 million U.S. Army contract to adapt the Chaparral for battlefield resupply missions. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, the exclusive U.S. manufacturer, will build the Chaparral in Sacramento, California, with the first production example planned for late 2026.

Elroy Air says it has a commercial backlog exceeding 1,400 aircraft, representing $5 billion in potential revenue—though that demand is based on non-binding agreements rather than firm orders. The company plans to go public later this year through a merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp.