An outdoor free clinic in rural Wise County, Virginia received a couple historic deliveries today. Two remotely piloted drones successfully carried drugs and medical supplies to the annual event meant to help bring care to people living in an area lacking in clinical infrastructure. One drone was a Cirrus SR22 single engine four-seater converted into a remotely controlled aircraft. It did have a pilot on-board just in case there were issues with the test flight. The other drone was a hexacopter, with a design similar to what most drones look like now, from Flirtey, Inc., an Australian drone startup.
The converted Cirrus SR22 carried a ten pound cargo from one airport to another, taking off and landing on its own without the pilot having to do much of anything except watch his profession disappear. From the airport, the much smaller Flirtey drone delivered the broken-up cargo in 24 separate flights. This part took about two hours to complete and required a ground-based pilot to control the drone. The Flirtey drone doesn’t land each time, but rather drops a tether with the package down to the ground while itself hovering safely above any nearby obstacles.
The test proved a resounding success and we hope this capability will be a normal for stocking remote facilities and getting much needed drugs and medical devices rapidly where they’re urgently needed.
Link: Flirtey…
Source: NASA…