Buffett’s 167-Year-Old Railroad Tests Skies for Drone Age
- Desert flights by BNSF help regulators develop broad rules
- FAA is eating the elephant ‘one bite at a time,’ official says
Which Industries Will Drones Disrupt the Most?
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Before some cutting-edge online retailer can use a drone to drop granola bars on your doorstep, a railroad born when Abe Lincoln was in Congress will first have to iron out the kinks.
BNSF Railway Co. is flying drones as far as 150 miles (240 kilometers) along the New Mexico desert to inspect tracks, helping the Federal Aviation Administration develop rules for operating unmanned aircraft beyond the pilot’s line of sight. That’s an essential step for expanding use to such commercial endeavors as deliveries by Amazon.com Inc. and other companies.