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FAA allows first drone cargo delivery, a 2-mile trip with 9 pounds

THE first US federally approved cargo drone completed its first freight carrying mission, flying nine pounds of medical supplies to Lonesome Pine Airport, in Virginia two miles away.

The SR22 drone delivered the medical supplies, which were then transferred in smaller packages to be delivered to the final destination at the fairgrounds by a much smaller Australian drone made by Flirtey Inc.

After a short flight, the Flirtey drone, a small hexacopter weighing 10 pounds, lowered the cargo to the Wise Clinic by a tether, reported Atlanta area Air Cargo World.

The July 17 exercise, in partnership with NASA, made three three-minute flights from Lonesome Pine Airport, in Virginia, to a clinic at the Wise County Fairgrounds, about two miles away, carrying a total of 24 medical packages.

Virginia Tech University reported that a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft, a Cirrus SR22, was used in the research flight, operated remotely by pilots at NASA's Langley Research Centre in Hampton, Virginia.

There was a safety pilot on board responsible for take-off and landing, but the rest of the flight was operated remotely.

In May, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it would allow the testing of drones, as long as they are flown at or below 200-feet to six approved sites in the US.

One the sites was the state of Virginia. Amazon, FedEx and DHL Express have all expressed interest in using drones, but so far the FAA hasn't come up with regulations.