On July 17, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will allow unmanned aircraft to deliver medical supplies to a free clinic during research flights in West Virginia. That occasion will be the first legal drone delivery on U.S. soil, and represent another big step forward for the U.S. drone industry.
This historic moment for the drone industry was made possible thanks to collaboration between NASA, Australian drone start-up Flirtey Inc., and Virginia Tech. The delivery will be executed during an event called “Let’s Fly Wisely” in Wise, Virginia. Virginia Tech is one of six locations given FAA approval to conduct research with the aim of integrating drones into national airspace, and this flight is part of that research. A fixed-wing plane operated by NASA will drop the initial shipment of medicine at Lonesome Pine airport, and Flirtey’s hexacopter drones will then ferry up to 24 ten-pound packages of prescription medications from the airport to the Wise County Fairgrounds where the clinic is being held. The clinic is expected to draw about 1,500 people who will receive free eye, dental and other healthcare services that day.
“Proving that unmanned aircraft can deliver life-saving medicines is an important step toward a future where unmanned aircraft make routine autonomous deliveries of your every day purchases,” said Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeny in a statement. Let the countdown to the age of delivery drones begin in the U.S…..
See full story on discovermagazine.com
Image: YouTube screengrab
2 Responses to “The First Legal Drone Delivery on U.S. Soil”
Hi to every one, it’s in fact a pleasant for me to visit this web
site, it contains important Information.
Hi, I log on to your blogs on a regular basis. Your story-telling style is
awesome, keep it up!