Autonomous Black Hawk helicopter has taken to the skies without a pilot on board for the first time

A fully autonomous Black Hawk helicopter has taken to the skies over the US without a human pilot on board for the first time. A partnership between Lockheed Martin Sikorsky and the Defence Armed Research Projects Agency (DARPA), it took off from Fort Campbell in Kentucky on February 5. Without anyone on board, the UH-60A Black Hawk completed a 30 minute flight above the US army installation, with a second flight held on February 7. It comes with an optionally piloted cockpit, that has to be switched from pilot, to autonomous mode - allowing an onboard computer brain to control the vehicle. During the flight the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) autonomous pilot was presented with a series of simulated obstacles to overcome. It had to execute a series of pedal turns, maneurvers and straightaways before carrying out a perfect landing back on the Fort Campbell runway - without any human intervention.