Black Hawk helicopter flies itself over mountain range in test

In the blue skies above the Diablo Range, just east of San Jose, a Black Hawk helicopter flew a two-hour test mission controlled entirely by a computer -- without a pilot’s hand.

There were pilots aboard the aircraft, but all maneuvers during the flight were conducted autonomously, Army officials said. Through its sensors and onboard computers, the Black Hawk was able to sense surrounding terrain, assess risk and avoid possible threats.

[link to www.latimes.com]