Honeywell conducts autonomous helicopter test in Phoenix, with more planned for summer

• A human pilot began the flight, taking the helicopter to a set height, then went "hands off" and let the technology from Near Earth Autonomy take over, Sapan Shah, senior product director for autonomy and advanced air mobility at Honeywell, told Axios.

Why it matters: Autonomous helicopters, like those Honeywell is testing, could be used to deliver humanitarian aid or military supplies or to conduct medical evacuations in areas unsafe for human pilots, Shah said.

• They could also come in handy for high-tempo missions where there aren't enough pilots.

Yes, but: Even though the aircraft is autonomous, that doesn't mean there aren't guardrails, Shah said.

• When the helicopters are operating in a theater of operations, there will likely be a remote pilot overseeing the aircraft, with the authority to change flight paths or cancel missions.

Between the lines: Shah said Phoenix is an ideal location, for several reasons.

• Honeywell already has a lot of aircraft, including the Leonardo AW139, based here;
• The company has a long aerospace history here, with some engineers involved in the project based out of Deer Valley Airport;
• And the weather is cooperative, with few rainy days.

Zoom out: There are numerous other companies "trying to solve the autonomous helicopter," Shah said, but he's unaware of anyone using them regularly beyond experimentation.

• Rotor Technologies, for example, is developing unmanned helicopters for crop spraying, carrying cargo to disaster areas and offshore oil rigs. Sikorsky and Rain late last year successfully demonstrated how an autonomous Blackhawk helicopter can identify and help extinguish a small wildfire.
• "This is very much groundbreaking and new technology," Shah said.

What's next: Honeywell is planning additional tests this summer, possibly as early as July, to see if the autonomous helicopter can handle more complex missions.

• Shah said there's no timeline for the aircraft to be put into real-world use.