Windracers ULTRA flies 1,000 km in anti-doping trial

Windracers has completed a 1,000-km flight of its ULTRA autonomous heavy-lift aircraft in North America as part of a multi-party project assessing the use of autonomous air cargo for transporting anti-doping blood samples over long distances.

The flight, conducted by the Alaska Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, evaluated whether blood samples could be transported safely and reliably while maintaining their integrity. The mission, conducted over several hours, marked the first beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight of a Windracers ULTRA in North America.

The project was led by the International Testing Agency (ITA), an organisation responsible for independent anti-doping programmes, with support from Sysmex, a provider of clinical laboratory diagnostic and haematology systems. The initiative examined whether long-distance autonomous aircraft could provide an additional transport option when conventional logistics are slower, less predictable or difficult to organise.

The ITA has explored autonomous air cargo for anti-doping sample transportation over several years, particularly for major sporting events such as the Olympic Games, where timely delivery of samples is important to anti-doping operations.

The flight took place on August 19, 2026, from Nenana Municipal Airport near Fairbanks, Alaska. ACUASI provided the Windracers ULTRA, a 10-metre fixed-wing autonomous aircraft constructed from aluminium, along with operational and technical support, including flight planning and execution.

Windracers Operations personnel also supported ACUASI, the ITA, and Sysmex during the mission. The project is intended to assess the potential of long-range autonomous aircraft for time-sensitive sample transportation across remote or challenging routes.

Simon Muderack, CEO, Windracers, said, “The mission of Windracers is to push the boundaries of autonomous aviation in service of completing our customers' missions. This flight, expertly managed by Cathy Cahill and the ACUASI team, did exactly that and created a new benchmark of ULTRA performance while delivering a result for our partners ITA and Sysmex. I look forward to a time when Windracers ULTRA is a standard option for sample delivery at major events such as the Olympic Games.”

Cathy Cahill, Director of ACUASI at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, shared that autonomous air cargo could be particularly valuable in Alaska, where 82% of communities are not connected to the road system. She said UAVs could enable nurses to collect medical samples from remote communities and send them for analysis, allowing healthcare providers to determine required medications and deliver them back by UAV before the medical teams leave. This could improve access to timely medical care and supplies for people living in remote areas.

Benjamin Cohen, ITA Director General, commented that innovation can help address practical challenges in anti-doping, provided it is supported by robust science and strict standards for sample integrity and chain of custody. He said the research is evaluating whether drone technology could provide a reliable option for transporting samples over long distances and difficult terrain, while also potentially supporting faster access to laboratory and medical services in remote communities.

Meanwhile, Andy Hay, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Sysmex America, said the company sees broader potential for the technology beyond sports. He noted that the ability to transport blood samples across 1,000 kilometres of remote Alaskan terrain could eventually help deliver timely diagnostic services to patients in some of the world’s most remote communities.

As the next phase of the study, the ITA will compare data collected before and after the flight to assess whether the journey affected red and white blood cell populations or other indices relevant to the Athlete Biological Passport. If the results confirm that blood samples can retain their integrity during long-distance drone flights, the findings could open up additional transport options for anti-doping organisations and major event organisers.