Air Methods will deploy fleets of Wingcopter’s new flagship delivery drone, the Wingcopter 198
9 August 2021: Air Methods recently introduced a new drone solution to improve healthcare access and minimize supply challenges. The solution is called as Spright and is in collaboration with Wingcopter. This new solution aims to provide drone-based healthcare-specific delivery network across US. This solution is flexible, rapid distribution network designed with 21st-century technology.
This new drone delivery network will improve access to urgently needed medical supplies for healthcare providers and the communities they serve. Air Methods will deploy fleets of Wingcopter’s new flagship delivery drone, the Wingcopter 198. The Wingcopter 198 is a state-of-the-art autonomous eVTOL delivery drone that enables safe, reliable, fast, and bi-directional medical deliveries. It is designed to provide maximum flexibility and ease of use in operations. The drone has a range of up to 68 miles, a maximum speed of 90 mph and can carry a payload of up to 13 lbs. Therefore, the Wingcopter 198 is an excellent choice to make Spright’s visions a reality.
The delivery network will be built around Air Methods’ existing infrastructure of more than 300 bases, serving hundreds of hospitals, across 48 states in predominantly rural areas.
JaeLynn Williams, CEO of Air Methods said, “The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated some of the real challenges in our health care system creating an opportunity to find better solutions to extend access to healthcare, especially in rural America. That is why we are doing what Air Methods’ does best, taking to the skies, using the latest in technology and drone innovation, delivering hope and facilitating healing with speed and efficiency that was previously unimaginable. We see Spright serving a vastly underserved market and playing a huge role in a future full of better outcomes for everyone.”
This fall, Spright will be kicking off this endeavor by partnering with Hutchinson Regional Medical System, in Hutchinson, Kansas for the launch of an initial pilot project using Wingcopter’s delivery drones.
Tom Plümmer, Co-Founder and CEO of Wingcopter said, “We are thrilled to team up with Air Methods to create a life-saving drone delivery network throughout the United States. Our technology has been used globally to effectively deliver medical supplies, for example insulin in Ireland, children’s vaccines in Vanuatu, emergency medication in Malawi, and just recently, blood samples in Germany. Our vision to ‘save and improve lives’ resonates perfectly with Air Methods’ legacy of providing lifesaving care, combined with Spright’s ambition to improve the quality of healthcare across the U.S. by deploying fleets of Wingcopters, and we are excited about scaling this together.”
Today, Air Methods serves as the US’ largest and most experienced FAA Part 135 Operator. Combining this operational experience with Wingcopter’s cutting-edge delivery drone technology gives Spright a unique ability and the resources to dramatically improve medical supply chains.
