RALEIGH – The FAA’s decision to award UPS a “drone airline” after a trial in which UPS partnered with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and WakeMed for a series of trial deliveries is a victory but it marks just the beginning of an aggressive drone agenda in the state known as “First in Flight.”

The NC DOT reactived positively to the FAA-UPS news on Tuesday, saying the trial has been safe and successful with more learned about the benefits of the unmanned, remotely controlled aerial vehicles.

Surgeon & pilot, WakeMed Innovations director sees bright future for drones in health care

James Pearce, Communications Officer for the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation and the NC Global TransPark, chatted via email with WRAL TechWire about the drone program’s progress and future agenda.

  • What does NCDOT think about the trial’s results? 

We’re very excited about what we’ve seen so far out of this program. The FAA’s UAS Integration Pilot Program has helped us explore the possible benefits of drones in a way we couldn’t otherwise.

  • Were they safe?

So far, all of our partners have maintained a perfect safety record during their operations in NC. We’re taking things slowly with programs like this, to make sure everyone involved is going above and beyond in ensuring the safety of their operators and the public.

FAA approves UPS for a ‘drone airline’ after WakeMed trial deliveries

  • Is the trial ungoing?

Yes, the trial is ongoing. UPS is flying with Matternet, who has a Part 107 Certification and is the maker of the specialized medical package delivery drones used at WakeMe. UPS has flown hundreds of flights at WakeMed since launching this past spring.

  • Will you move toward a wider launch of services in NC now and if so when, and in what areas?

​The next step in this particular trial is to expand beyond just the WakeMed main campus in Raleigh. By the end of this year, we hope to see drone carrying medical supplies and samples between that main campus and the WakeMed Garner Healthplex, then others in the future. Longer distance operations like that are the real benefit we’re going to see from this program. Next year, we hope that we’ll see a similar program with different partners operating in a more rural part of the state.

  • Does this impact on the food delivery trial in Holly Springs?

This doesn’t directly impact the Holly Springs food delivery operations, although both are part of the same Integration Pilot Program. We’re still aiming to have that up and running this fall.

  • What does NC DOT plan next with drones?

In addition to the continued growth of this particular program and the operations we’re already conducting within NCDOT (infrastructure inspections, disaster response, etc), the next challenge we’re looking to tackle is Remote ID. That’s the system where law enforcement and air traffic control will be able to see and quickly identify the owner of a drone, and help mitigate any unsafe practices.