Prototype & Sample Delivery by Air

Littlebird Cargo · Prototypes & samples

Prototypes and samples, on your deadline

A pitch, a production sign-off or a launch can hinge on one box arriving today. Fly it direct, with nobody else's freight aboard.

Request cargo access
2handoffs
Yours at departure, theirs at arrival.
0sorting hubs
No conveyor belts, no trucks, no transfers.
Sameday
Leave when your shipment is ready.
1all-in price
For the whole aircraft, whatever you ship.

Prototypes & samples

Prototype & Sample Delivery by Air

Product teams and manufacturers ship one-of-a-kind prototypes, pre-production samples and confidential hardware that can't be replaced if they're lost or seen. A dedicated Littlebird flight keeps them in one aircraft from departure to arrival.

Fly samples to the factory for sign-off, to a retailer for a meeting, or to a lab for testing, and have them back the same day with a round trip.

Packing prototypes & samples for the flight

  • Devices with lithium batteries are fine when the battery is installed and the device is off and protected from switching on.
  • Loose batteries, battery packs and power banks can't fly as cargo.
  • Use a plain outer box for confidential products.

Fewer hands

Every handoff is a risk. We cut them to two.

Overnight carrier

7+ handoffs · usually next day or later

  1. Courier pickup
  2. Local depot
  3. Sort hub
  4. Airline hold
  5. Sort hub
  6. Local depot
  7. Delivery van

Littlebird Cargo

2 handoffs · often there in hours

  1. You, at the FBO
  2. Your dedicated Cirrus
  3. Your recipient

The aircraft flies for your prototypes & samples alone, so nothing else is loaded, sorted or transferred along the way.

On board

Where your package rides

Inside the cabin of a Cirrus SR20, not a cargo hold or a sorting bin. Our crew loads it, secures it and keeps it in sight from engine start to shutdown.

Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20
Cirrus SR20

Who it's for

What our shippers fly

  1. 01

    Retail and buyer meetings

    Samples in the room on the day of the meeting.

  2. 02

    Production approvals

    First articles and golden samples between factory and design team.

  3. 03

    Testing and certification

    Units to the test lab without days in transit.

  4. 04

    Confidential launches

    Unreleased products that shouldn't pass through a carrier network.

Sign in to request cargo access

Cargo is for approved shippers. Create a free account or log in, tell us what you ship, and we'll email you once you're approved.

Create accountLog in

How it works

From your hands to theirs, on one aircraft

  1. 01

    Request access

    Sign in and tell us what you ship. Our team reviews every shipper before their first flight and emails you when you're approved.

  2. 02

    Search and book

    Search flights as usual and choose Cargo. You get an instant, all-in price for the whole aircraft.

  3. 03

    Describe your packages

    At checkout, enter each box's contents, weight, dimensions and value, and confirm nothing is hazardous.

  4. 04

    Drop off, we fly

    Hand your packages to our crew at the departure FBO. Your recipient meets the aircraft when it lands.

What we can't carry

No hazmat. Ever.

We don't carry dangerous goods of any kind. Every shipper confirms it at checkout, and our crews may refuse any package that looks or smells unsafe.

  • Explosives, fireworks, flares and ammunition
  • Flammable liquids and solids: fuel, paint, lighters, matches, aerosols
  • Compressed gases: scuba tanks, CO₂ and oxygen cylinders, propane
  • Loose lithium batteries, damaged batteries and power banks shipped on their own
  • Corrosives, acids, bleach and wet-cell batteries
  • Poisons, pesticides and infectious or biological substances
  • Radioactive material and magnetized material
  • Dry ice and anything packed with it
  • Anything regulated as dangerous goods (hazmat) under 49 CFR or IATA rules

Questions

Shipping prototypes & samples by air

Can you carry electronics?

Yes, with batteries installed in the device and the device switched off. Loose or damaged lithium batteries are hazmat and can't fly.

Can we get it back the same day?

Yes. Book a round trip and the aircraft waits for the return.

Do you sign NDAs?

Talk to our team about confidentiality requirements before you book.

How does cargo with Littlebird work?

Sign in and request cargo access. Once our team approves your account, search flights as usual and choose Cargo instead of Passengers. At checkout, tell us the weight, dimensions and contents of each package, then drop them at the departure FBO; your recipient meets the aircraft at the other end.

Do I need a passenger on board?

No. A cargo flight carries only your packages and the crew. If someone is traveling with the shipment, book a passenger flight and tell us about it in the notes.

Do you carry hazmat?

No. We don't carry dangerous goods of any kind: no explosives, flammables, compressed gases, loose lithium batteries, corrosives, poisons, infectious substances, radioactive material or dry ice.

Why do I have to request access?

Cargo is for known shippers. We review each account before its first shipment so we know who we're flying for and what they ship.

How much does it cost?

You book the whole aircraft, so cargo is priced like a charter: by the route, the aircraft and the time. Search a flight to see an instant, all-in price.

Cargo

More we fly