Story ID: 
Bristow Triples Early-delivery Chaparral Reservations
By: Hanneke Weitering
Caption: Helicopter operator has reserved 15 of the hybrid-electric cargo drones
Word Count: 281
Bristow Group has reserved 10 more early-delivery positions for Elroy Air’s Chaparral hybrid-electric cargo drone, bringing the helicopter operator’s total reservations to 15, the Byron, California-based start-up announced on September 17.
In September 2023, Bristow placed deposits to secure its first five positions. The operator had signed a letter of intent in 2022 to preorder up to 100 Chaparrals, which Elroy Air then expected to certify in 2023. The companies did not disclose delivery dates. Elroy Air says its commercial backlog exceeds 1,400 aircraft, though that figure reflects nonbinding agreements rather than firm orders.
In late August, Elroy Air flew the Chaparral with Houston-based Bristow for a week of demonstrations at Houma-Terrebonne Airport (KHUM) in Louisiana, which the manufacturer claimed as the first uncrewed, autonomous flights under the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program.
Bristow primarily flies helicopters for offshore energy companies and government customers, and it has said it plans to use the Chaparral to move time-sensitive cargo. After the Louisiana flights, Bristow executive vice president and chief transformation officer Dave Stepanek said the drone could give those customers “new ways to move freight offshore and across the region.” In the latest announcement, he added that Bristow is “continuing to evaluate where technologies like this could create value for our customers.”
Elroy Air advertises a payload capacity of more than 500 pounds and a maximum range of 450 miles for the Chaparral. San Diego-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, the aircraft’s exclusive U.S. manufacturer, plans to build the first production example in Sacramento, California, in late 2026. Elroy Air also plans to go public through a merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. VII, a special-purpose acquisition company.