diff --git a/Tools/autotest/run_mission.py b/Tools/autotest/run_mission.py
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..99a0bc5198
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tools/autotest/run_mission.py
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+#!/usr/bin/python3
+
+'''
+Run a mission in SITL
+
+AP_FLAKE8_CLEAN
+'''
+
+import common
+import os
+import sys
+import argparse
+
+from pysim import util
+
+
+class RunMission(common.AutoTest):
+    def __init__(self, vehicle_binary, model, mission_filepath, speedup=None, sim_rate_hz=None):
+        super(RunMission, self).__init__(vehicle_binary)
+        self.mission_filepath = mission_filepath
+        self.model = model
+        self.speedup = speedup
+        self.sim_rate_hz = sim_rate_hz
+
+        if self.speedup is None:
+            self.speedup = 100
+
+    def vehicleinfo_key(self):
+        '''magically guess vehicleinfo_key from filepath'''
+        path = self.binary.lower()
+        if "plane" in path:
+            return "ArduPlane"
+        if "copter" in path:
+            return "ArduCopter"
+        raise ValueError("Can't determine vehicleinfo_key from binary path")
+
+    def run(self):
+        self.start_SITL(
+            binary=self.binary,
+            model=self.model,
+            sitl_home=self.sitl_home_string_from_mission_filepath(self.mission_filepath),
+            speedup=self.speedup,
+            sim_rate_hz=self.sim_rate_hz,
+            defaults_filepath=self.model_defaults_filepath(self.model),
+        )
+        self.get_mavlink_connection_going()
+
+        # hack; Plane defaults are annoying... we should do better
+        # here somehow.
+        if self.vehicleinfo_key() == "ArduPlane":
+            self.set_parameter("RTL_AUTOLAND", 1)
+
+        self.load_mission_from_filepath(self.mission_filepath, strict=False)
+        self.change_mode('AUTO')
+        self.set_streamrate(1)
+        self.wait_ready_to_arm()
+        self.arm_vehicle()
+        self.wait_disarmed(timeout=600)
+        self.stop_SITL()
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    ''' main program '''
+    os.environ['PYTHONUNBUFFERED'] = '1'
+
+    if sys.platform != "darwin":
+        os.putenv('TMPDIR', util.reltopdir('tmp'))
+
+    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser("run_mission.py")
+    parser.add_argument(
+        'vehicle_binary',
+        type=str,
+        help='vehicle binary to use'
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        'model',
+        type=str,
+        help='vehicle model to use'
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        'mission_filepath',
+        type=str,
+        help='mission file path'
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--speedup',
+        type=int,
+        help='simulation speedup',
+        default=None,
+    )
+    parser.add_argument(
+        '--sim-rate-hz',
+        type=int,
+        help='simulation physics rate',
+        default=None,
+    )
+
+    args = parser.parse_args()
+
+    x = RunMission(
+        args.vehicle_binary,
+        args.model,
+        args.mission_filepath,
+        speedup=args.speedup,
+        sim_rate_hz=args.sim_rate_hz
+    )
+    x.run()