On the 21st of June 2022, the first BVLOS transportation flight over a populated area was performed under the new EASA UAS regulations.
The flight took place between two hospitals located in the city of Antwerp.
Helicus obtained the Operational Authorization on June 17th 2022, thanks to:
- Combined mitigations to reduce the risk for people on the ground and in the air
- Risk mitigation based on the SABCA-UAS designed X-8 multicopter with an integrated parachute, fully compliant with the flight test requirements specified in the ASTM F3322-18 Standard Specification.
- Robust ground organization, emergency response plan (ERP)
The teams have been working on obtaining this authorization for the last 3 years. This authorization will greatly benefit the development and implementation of sustainable medical flights worldwide.
According to those involved, this is the first time that drone transport of human tissue has happened in Europe.
In the near future, drones will have to fly over medical supplies, blood samples, and biopsies regularly. In the longer term, it is even conceivable that patients will be transported by drone.
More details on the mission parameters can be fund at https://dronexl.co/2022/08/24/belgium-drone-transport-of-human-tissue/
According to Mikael Shamim, CEO of Helicus, this is just the beginning.
“Much more is possible, also with other samples, blood and medication, for example. The future of drones is a step-by-step approach. We are currently focusing on fairly short distances of which we know the start and end point, but we are also already preparing longer distances,” he told VRT.
