Artificial Intelligence is already revolutionising the world. With this thesis, I was able to combine my curiosity for AI and my genuine fascination for things that fly. In my research, I try to synchronise the latest advancement in bio-inspired intelligent methods, such as deep reinforcement learning and evolutionary algorithms, to develop adaptive controllers that are robust to faults, disturbances and unexpected phenomena. I am confident that my work will contribute towards safer autonomous systems and I hope to, at some point in future, see them flying.Continuing the effort of previous students and researchers in this field, the code developed as part of this thesis has been made publicly available 1 .By submitting this thesis, I am concluding a five-year journey of my life. Working to become an Aerospace Engineer at TU Delft has inevitably shaped the way I learn and think. It has been a truly unforgettable experience for which I shall thank many inspiring people that I have met along the way. Among all of them, I would like to thank Erik-Jan van Kampen for his much-needed guidance throughout my nine-month research. Your ability to always show a calm approach towards any seemingly unsolvable problem inspired me. Also, by always making sure that I am spending my resources exploiting the most important aspects, you led me to achieve what I now feel has been the perfect balance between learning new topics and delivering relevant results. This journey would not have been possible without the support of my friends made in Delft and Oradea, alongside whom I learnt so much. We have shared both adventures and stressful work sessions, highs and lows, and then debated all of them in endless discussions. I will always cherish these memories.Thank you Casi for your continuous support, trust and encouragement. Without these, I would have lost my confidence many times and I am more than grateful that you have never let that happen. Last but not least, I would particularly like to thank my parents for devoting their entire attention and effort to support me in achieving my goals.