A local road in Papua New Guinea. Sure, one could use cargo drones instead of cars to deliver vaccines to remote clinics. Drone deliveries would certainly be cheaper and more environmentally friendly than paving miles and miles of asphalt roads. But here’s the thing ... 1 / Drones are not a public good, nor are the air corridors they fly through. A drone delivery service in a developing country will typically be owned by a foreign cargo drone company. While said company may not turn a profit for a while, they’ll get something just as valuable... 2/

Let me count the ways that cargo drone companies from developing countries keep getting screwed. They rarely have VC connections; don’t get international media attention; don’t have favorable drone regulations in their countries; can’t get drone pilot licenses locally, and ... 1/ ... if that weren’t enough, they also get screwed with travel visas. Let me explain that last one. Most high profile cargo drone companies tend to be American, European or Australian. For most of the countries we work in (FlyingLabs.org), one can get ... 2/