One of the significant challenges of testing new or modified Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) is to safely test the guidance, navigation, and control functions of the vehicle while minimizing the risk of loss of the test article or harm to people or property on the ground. Calspan's in-flight simulator aircraft provide an incremental way to test these systems by providing a programmable manned aircraft with an onboard safety pilot to take over in the event of a failure of the system under test.

Calspan's Learjet in-flight simulators and the USAF VISTA F-16 (operated by Calspan) are capable of providing a flying simulation of a wide range of UAVs. The control laws of the UAV, sensors, data links, and hardware in the loop can be added to check out the system under actual flight conditions.

Calspan's testbeds have been used to simulate unmanned space planes, autonomous air refueling sensors and control laws, and to support the USAF's Sense and Avoid (SAA) program which is intended to develop methods for UAVs to fly intermixed with manned aircraft in the National Airspace System.