Ribbit, NRC Fly Autonomous Plane and Helicopter in Joint Rescue Test
Ottawa – October 27, 2026 -- An autonomous Bell 412EP helicopter, an autonomous Cessna 150 airplane and multiple virtual drones completed a mock search and rescue mission near Ottawa in May 2026 under the command of one person, Ribbit announced. The company says it is the first time a helicopter, an airplane and virtual aircraft have reached a shared goal through mission and platform autonomy directed by a single human.
Airplane searches, helicopter evacuates in single-commander mission
Ribbit's Cessna 150 flew search patterns for a missing person and updated its flight plans from a common operating picture. After the person was located, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) helicopter performed a casualty evacuation. The airplane stayed overhead to provide situational awareness, while virtual drones added complexity to the search team.