Merlin successfully completed an autonomous landing at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 with its Cessna 208B Grand Caravan equipped with the Merlin Pilot AI-powered autonomy platform.
The autonomous landing occurred on Runway 27 at 10:02 a.m. CDT on July 17, 2026, ahead of the 73rd annual event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where more than 600,000 EAA members and aviation enthusiasts gather annually to celebrate the heritage and future of flight.
The landing demonstrates how AI-powered autonomy is moving from research and experimentation toward operational deployment, according to Merlin officials.
“For more than 70 years, Oshkosh has been where aviation introduces its next chapter,” said Matt George, CEO and founder of Merlin. “Many members of our team first fell in love with aviation here, so returning to Oshkosh to complete what we believe is the first autonomous landing of a conventional fixed-wing aircraft in EAA AirVenture history makes this milestone especially meaningful. We’re incredibly grateful to the EAA air and ground crews, whose involvement made this achievement possible. It’s a testament to how far autonomous flight has come and a reminder that the next chapter of aviation is being built by the same community that has always embraced what’s next.”
For more information: MerlinLabs.com
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