San Leandro, CA, June 27th, 2025 – MightyFly successfully conducted a live flight demonstration for the U.S. Air Force as part of its SBIR Phase II contract under the Department of the Air Force’s AFWERX program. MightyFly provides expedited logistics services and manufactures and operates autonomous, hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) cargo aircraft.
The demonstration, held at the New Jerusalem Airport on May 8, 2025, showcased MightyFly’s autonomous cargo aircraft and its patented Autonomous Load Mastering System (ALMS). The Cento aircraft executed a DoD-relevant mission, demonstrating autonomous flight, cargo loading, unloading, and onboard package handling and balance management.
The Cento transported two large boxes from origin to destination. Before takeoff, the ALMS-equipped aircraft autonomously positioned and secured the packages into its cargo compartment. The aircraft then closed its nose cone, took off, flew to the destination, landed and ejected the packages without human intervention. It then continued to a third destination.
The demonstration also included autonomous handling of representative packages across key sectors, including healthcare, retail, logistics, manufacturing, disaster relief, and defense.
The recent Presidential Executive Order supporting domestic eVTOL adoption highlights the use of these aircraft for “medical response, cargo transport, and rural access” missions*, which align with MightyFly’s model. This policy presents a timely opportunity for MightyFly as the company positions itself as a national asset in next-generation logistics, offering high efficiency services, minimal infrastructure requirements and low operational costs for both commercial and defense applications.
* Source: The White House. Unleashing American Drone Dominance. Executive Order. June 6, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/
About MightyFly
MightyFly’s mission is to provide fast, affordable and low-emissions expedited deliveries to businesses and governments. MightyFly is a provider of expedited logistics services and a leading manufacturer and operator of autonomous, fixed-wing, hybrid eVTOL cargo aircraft with payload capacities of 100 and 500 pounds, a range of 600 miles, and a speed of 150 mph. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, MightyFly was founded in 2019 with backing from Draper Associates, At One Ventures, 500 Startups, Global Founders Capital, Graph Ventures, Halogen Ventures, and Side Door Ventures. The company was named a “Top Supply Chain Startup to Watch” in 2022 by Business Insider. To learn more about the Cento aircraft and point-to-point expedited logistics services, visit www.mightyfly.com.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.
