{"id":32964,"date":"2025-09-29T21:44:40","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T21:44:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/?p=32964"},"modified":"2025-09-29T21:44:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-29T21:44:42","slug":"oklahomas-skydweller-aero-achieves-historic-solar-powered-flight-with-u-s-navy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/state-news\/oklahoma\/oklahomas-skydweller-aero-achieves-historic-solar-powered-flight-with-u-s-navy\/%20","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma\u2019s Skydweller Aero Achieves Historic Solar-Powered Flight with U.S. Navy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Photo – Skydweller Aero is headquartered in Oklahoma City. The aerospace company recently completed a three-day solar-powered unmanned flight with the U.S. Navy. The flight was intended to demonstrate the potential of long-duration, solar-powered operations to support defense as well as humanitarian efforts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics (ODAA) has congratulated Skydweller Aero, an Oklahoma-based aerospace company, on completing a groundbreaking three-day solar-powered unmanned flight in partnership with the U.S. Navy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 74-hour flight, conducted over the Gulf of America, marks a major advancement in unmanned aircraft technology. The solar-electric plane\u2019s flight demonstrates the potential of long-duration, solar-powered operations to support extended ocean patrols, track vessel movements, and gather critical information without fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This achievement builds on Oklahoma\u2019s proud aviation heritage \u2014 from pioneers like Wiley Post, the first pilot to fly solo around the world \u2014 to today\u2019s innovators pushing the boundaries of aerospace technology. The flight was made possible after years of engineering and testing led by Skydweller\u2019s global headquarters in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis accomplishment by Skydweller Aero shows how Oklahoma\u2019s aerospace sector is delivering innovative solutions with global impact,\u201d said Grayson Ardies, executive director of ODAA. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to support companies like Skydweller that are advancing unmanned flight and strengthening America\u2019s leadership in aerospace technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the mission, the Skydweller aircraft stayed airborne using only solar energy, operated autonomously under human supervision, and securely transmitted imagery and data from above the open ocean. Designed to remain aloft for up to 90 days, it opens new opportunities for defense and humanitarian missions \u2014 from stopping illegal fishing to enhancing search-and-rescue operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RuthAnne Darling, director of the Department of Defense\u2019s Operational Energy Innovation Office, said, \u201cThis is the first time Skydweller\u2019s solar-electric aircraft has flown continuously through a full diurnal cycle of sunshine and darkness, showing their energy budget closes under real-world conditions. This was an important step to show that month-long operational flights in places like INDOPACOM are possible in reality \u2014 not just in modeling. Our office sponsors purposeful demonstrations like this to accelerate and transition innovative capabilities that project power with increased time on station and larger payloads, fostering sustained operational reach. We are excited by Skydweller\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am proud of Skydweller\u2019s historic solar-powered flight, a groundbreaking milestone in aerospace innovation,\u201d said\u202fCongresswoman Stephanie Bice (OK-5). \u201cTheir partnership with the U.S. Navy shows how Oklahoma continues to lead the way in developing technology that supports our military and strengthens national defense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2020, Skydweller Aero has partnered with the U.S. military to address pressing security challenges including drug trafficking, illegal fishing, maritime security, and border awareness. More flights are planned in the U.S. Southern Command\u2019s operating region and along the U.S. southern border. From its base in Oklahoma, Skydweller Aero continues to advance groundbreaking technology.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Photo – Skydweller Aero is headquartered in Oklahoma City. The aerospace company recently completed a three-day solar-powered unmanned flight with the U.S. Navy. The flight was intended to demonstrate the potential of long-duration, solar-powered operations to support defense as well as humanitarian efforts. The Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics (ODAA) has congratulated Skydweller Aero, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":32965,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[114,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-news","category-oklahoma"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Skydweller.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32964"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32964\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32966,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32964\/revisions\/32966"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stateaviationjournal.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}