Medical Cargo Could Be The Gateway For Routine Drone Deliveries
Proposals for drones to carry blood, trauma supplies and lab samples are awaiting approval by the Federal Aviation Administration. If the ideas get a green light, they could usher in a new drone age.
One shred of solace that surfaced as hurricanes and tropical storms pummeled Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico last fall was the opportunity to see drones realize some of their life-saving potential.
During those disasters unmanned aircraft surveyed wrecked roads, bridges and rail lines. They spotted oil and gas leaks. They inspected damaged cell towers that had left thousands unable to call for help. "Drones became a literal lifeline," former Federal Aviation Administration chief Michael Huerta told the agency's drone advisory committee in November.
The drones used needed a special exemption from a set of FAA rules, known as , that normally require small drones to fly below 400 feet, stay within the operator's visual line
