![[Credit: Aerolane]](https://avweb.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/67c07347531f88720c4cb868_Screens.jpg?width=1220&height=788)
An aviation start-up in the Fort Worth area is seeking to make the idea of “sky trains” a reality.
The company, Aerolane, is looking to revolutionize the way air cargo is transported by leveraging their Aerocart technology, which is being installed into autonomous cargo glider systems that would then be towed by traditional aircraft headed the same direction as the cargo.
At an event hosted at the company’s headquarters at Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport on Wednesday, Aerolane demonstrated their product to a group that included a number of executives and investors, as well as U.S. Congressman Jake Ellzey.
According to Aerolane, the glider method would not only reduce fuel consumption, but shrink cargo delivery time from multiple days to a matter of hours. The company calls their technology “the biggest change to aviation since the jet engine.”
Aerolane announced this year that they are releasing their AC0 upgrade kit, a modification to existing planes that gives them the capability to be used in towed configurations. Such upgrades could result in double digit percentage reductions in operating costs, per the company.
The company is currently undergoing a certification approval process for commercial operations. Aerolane is also in the process of going through a number of design approvals with the FAA for converting existing aircraft into gliders. According to local Texas news affiliate, WFAA, Aerolane has claimed to have contracted with a large regional carrier, but has not disclosed which carrier specifically.
Towing a glider will reduce the capacity of the carrier aircraft. And transport category airplanes make awful gliders. There is no way this is more efficient.
How’d that massive glider force work out for you on D-Day? >50% crashed or misdirected? Of course somewhat fewer people will be shooting at you in Texas… somewhat fewer. Unless they think you’re carrying illegals.
This is possible, and many larger aircraft do have impressive L/D ratios, but there’s no way this would work in practice. Imagine the first time a glider had to be released to save the crew in the tow aircraft after an engine failure or similar, and that glider ends up on I-35 at 5 PM on a Friday. I can’t imagine it would be that much more efficient either in that you wouldn’t get the increased aerodynamic efficiency seen when “tailgating” 18-wheelers on the freeway. Of course the close following distance truck idea has been floated for decades and has never actually been put into practice. I’ll file this under “looks good on paper”…