West Chandler is the newly announced site for a limited-scope trial using drone aircraft to deliver critical supplies to medical-services providers. The path to be followed during the test flights will link a pharmaceutical distributor with an assisted living facility.
The project, which is tentatively scheduled to be launched sometime this summer, represents a collaborative effort by the Chandler City Council, Maricopa Association of Governments and a Detroit-based company, Airspace Link. News sources describe the company’s mission as one providing the resources that drone pilots and communities are pursuing to ensure safe drone activities. According to an announcement from Chandler, the project is said to be similar to pursuits the city has followed within the autonomous vehicle industry. It reportedly will support the testing of a new technology that planners say has the potential to improve traffic and shorten delivery times for what it lists as critical products.
The project, funded by MAG through an Emerging Technologies testing program, supports the deployment of transportation technologies areawide. Under discussions currently being conducted, the project is limited to seven total days of operations during a two-week span, with four to six flights per day along a five-minute route. The drones will fly below the 400-foot requirement set by the Federal Aviation Administration. Operators will maintain visual lineof-sight at all times. There will be cameras on the drones to assist with flight safety, but no video will be recorded, according to the city’s statement.
