By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System is working on the logistics for the first in the nation drone program due to start later this year.
"A lot of it depends on the FAA and their timeline," Welch said. "We talked about flight patterns and areas that they may fly to. Right now, we're looking at, obviously McPherson, Lyons and possibly Lindsborg as some early test flights."
The idea would be to use the drone instead of a courier driver.
"The payload is going to be in the neighborhood of 10 to 12 pounds to start," Welch said. "As the drone technology improves and get better, it's going to be able to fly further and carry more. That more than is sufficient to carry a blood or a tissue sample or carry a load of vaccine or whatever our needs may be right now."
The drones will be unmanned and use GPS and cell towers for guidance.
"The goal really is to make these things completely autonomous," Welch said. "Put in GPS coordinates and they take off. That's the goal and that's what Air Methods are going to be trying to prove to the FAA is the technology works, it's safe and it's time to employ it."
The company will have ground operators during the testing period, with the intent of flying remotely from Arizona once the concept is proven and has full FAA approval.