Boston-based autonomous flight tech firm Merlin has secured a Part 135 Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of New Zealand, a key step towards allowing it to operate data collection flights on selected regional freight routes.
Merlin's product, which it calls Merlin Pilot, is an in-development technology that supports aircraft to fly autonomously. "We are building a pilot that takes the skills of a human pilot and translates them into software," the company's website reads, describing the product as a "platform-adaptable" integrated hardware and software solution. Merlin's financial backers include Google Ventures, Mark IV Capital, Baillie Gifford, and SnowPoint Ventures.
New Zealand CAA Part 135 certification allows a certified airline or general aviation operator to carry out operations using fixed-wing aircraft with a seating configuration of nine seats or less, excluding any required crew seat, and a maximum certificated take-off weight of 5,700 kg or less.
Merlin opened a test facility at Kerikeri in May 2023 and has been working with the New Zealand CAA on certification since 2021. However, before any aircraft take-off from the airport using Merlin Pilot, it still needs to secure product certification from the authority.
“Achieving an organisational Part 135 certification gives us the opportunity to work with a forward-thinking regulator as well as leverage New Zealand as a sandbox for our current and future products," said Merlin founder and CEO Matt George.
Merlin has also signed an agreement with the United States Air Force (MC, Washington National) to design, integrate, test, and demonstrate aspects of Merlin Pilot on the KC-135 Stratotanker, and it completed 25 flights in Alaska to test the technology in conjunction with the US Federal Aviation Administration, the University of Alaska, and Everts Air Alaska (5V, Fairbanks International).
