ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Mid-America Transplant is working on establishing a drone flight corridor from Springfield, Missouri, to its headquarters in St. Louis.
The goal is for the drones to transport blood samples for potential donors to Mid-America Transplant's St. Louis headquarters from rural areas in southwest Missouri -- following existing railway systems.
"The drone operator, which would most likely in this model would be stationed at a facility in Rolla, would use a vertical takeoff to lift the drone to approximately to 600 feet in altitude and fly that drone along a predetermined flight pattern," said Kevin Lee, President and CEO of Mid-America Transplant. "Most often it be above a railways line, since those are cleared for drone usage by the FAA."
The drones would be replacing the current method of transporting these samples by car or small plane.
Lee says the realistic time line until this drone delivery system becomes reality is about 24 months.
"Best case scenario, we're 12 months away," said Lee. "But probably a more realistic is 24 months to ensure we can receive clearance from all required entities and stand up to what we believe is initial phase of four drones based somewhere in the Rolla-area to fly missions in a 100 mile radius."
Future flight corridors in southeast Missouri, northeast Arkansas and southwest Illinois are also possibilities.
Lee also believes one day drone technology may advance enough to transport organs in the same way.