Elroy Air Makes First A to B Cargo Delivery With Its Hybrid-Electric VTOL Aircraft Chaparral

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 18, 2025--

Elroy Air, the leading developer of autonomous aerial systems for middle-mile logistics and military resupply, announced today that it successfully completed its first point A to point B cargo delivery using the first-of-its-kind drone, Chaparral.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251218529702/en/

Elroy Air is redefining autonomous cargo transport with the Chaparral — an advanced vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft built to carry up to 300 pounds of cargo across 300 miles without a crew onboard. Chaparral was engineered with a hybrid-electric powertrain to meet the needs of our commercial and defense customers, with high utilization, no charging infrastructure required, and increased range.

Designed with speed, safety, and operational efficiency in mind, the Chaparral enables next-generation logistics at a fraction of the capital and operational costs of traditional piloted helicopters. From tactical resupply to humanitarian aid, Chaparral enables rapid aerial cargo delivery while keeping personnel out of harm’s way. Its autonomous operations enhance mission resilience by ensuring critical cargo reaches the point of need safely, securely and reliably.

During the historic milestone flight on December 10th, the hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone autonomously carried 213 lbs over a flight distance of 2.6 miles in Byron, California. The aircraft took off vertically, accelerated to a speed of approximately 60 mph and then performed a vertical landing at a second location half a mile away, where Chaparral delivered lunch to the Elroy Air team to celebrate the milestone.

“This delivery is the realization of the value of the Chaparral, an autonomous, hybrid-electric drone capable of delivering hundreds of pounds of cargo without the need for runways or infrastructure,” said Elroy Air CEO Andrew Clare, Ph.D. “We thought about what the first delivery should be and decided to deliver lunch to the team who has worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality. As we move into 2026 having completed these critical milestones and now focused on scaling production with Kratos, Chaparral is ready to go to work to unlock unprecedented operational capacity for our commercial and defense customers.”

The delivery was conducted with the company’s Hatch Load Pod. The pod is a rear-access cargo module designed for rapid ground operations, enabling streamlined workflows, and minimal ground handling requirements. This pod is one of the many payload designs to enable multi-mission operations. Others include the Express Pod, Heavy Payload Pod, Pelican Case, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Pod, Climate-Control Pod, and Air Drop Pod.

“One of the remarkable outcomes of working closely with the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Marine Corps and allied forces, as well as logistics titans like FedEx and Bristow Group throughout the development of Chaparral is that we’ve been able to develop Chaparral to be a modular platform capable of flexing with the countless missions and operations our partners can imagine,” said Founder and Executive Chairman Dave Merrill. “It is great to see Chaparral flying further, faster, with heavier payloads and now making deliveries week after week, but what’s most exciting is seeing Chaparral rising to the occasion to meet the unique and expanding operational needs of our customers.”

The announcement comes after an eventful year for the company, which this summer began longer range flights, including multiple 25-mile flights in September, and the company also recently announced Kratos Defense & Security Solutions as its exclusive U.S. manufacturing partner for the Chaparral in a strategic manufacturing agreement to accelerate high-volume production.

Watch the delivery here: https://youtu.be/owX0ABb9Gng

About Elroy Air

Elroy Air is developing industry-first autonomous aircraft systems and cutting-edge software to revolutionize express shipping. Deploying innovative hybrid-electric and autonomous vehicle technologies, their vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) aircraft transcend traditional airport limitations, unlocking new frontiers in commercial air cargo, humanitarian aid, and military logistics. From agile, low-risk resupply for troops, to dynamic disaster response and firefighting support, to warehouse-to-warehouse express parcel transport, Elroy Air’s technology reshapes logistics possibilities. With facilities in Byron, California, Elroy Air is backed by premier venture capital firms, including Diamondstream Partners, Catapult Ventures, Marlinspike Partners, Snowpoint Ventures, and Shield Capital. Strategic investment from industry giants like Lockheed Martin Ventures and support from visionary angel investors including early Uber executives drive the company's mission to provide same-day shipping to every person on the planet. For more information, visit elroyair.com.

Elroy Air makes first A to B cargo delivery with its hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft Chaparral

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj.

Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and surrounding plain for intense prayers and worship that often mark a spiritual peak for them. They fervently murmured prayers and poured their hearts out in supplications. Many raised their hands in worship. It is common for pilgrims on that day, some with tears streaming down their faces, to ask God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform it.

For pilgrims, the Hajj, performed over several days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade.

A Saudi official said on Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country from abroad.

This year, Muslims have been pouring into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty in the region.

The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats used to lay mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely." Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war.

For many, performing the Hajj can be a realization of a lifelong dream as they spend years hoping and praying to one day be able to undertake the pilgrimage or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.

“This happens once in a lifetime,” Mohammad Asal, an Egyptian pilgrim, said. “People here have prepared their prayers, hoping that God will respond to them, because we know that ... the most important ritual of the Hajj is being in Arafat.”

The Hajj brings together large numbers of Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many. It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims performing rituals together. But it is also deeply personal, as every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences.

“It was incredible,” Ahmed Sufyan, a pilgrim from the United States, said on Tuesday. “The unity and peace that we feel is something I’ve never experienced before,” he added via WhatsApp.

“Our wishes are many,” Mohammad Obaid, a Sudanese pilgrim, said, adding he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.

Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A Muslim pilgrim pray atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims walk towards the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims are silhouetted as they pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims read a copy of Islam's holy book Quran atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)