Three WingtraOne drones are prizes in Earth Day Challenge

Swiss vertical takeoff and landing aircraft company Wingtra will be giving away three WingtraOne drones as prizes in its new Earth Day Challenge, whose winners will be selected on the merits of their proposed environmental or humanitarian projects.

The Zurich-based company says applications are now open for the first edition of its Earth Day Challenge, which will wrap up April 22 with three projects “aiming to do good” being awarded a WingtraOne Gen II drone that normally sells for $15,000. Wingtra says its own business fortunes have been sufficiently strong that it now wants to share the positivity around to people or organizations with plans to do good for the world – and who need some aerial assets to make those happen.

According to the contest page, nonprofit organizations, universities, research institutes, or government agencies wanting to participate must send in their proposals by March 31. Projects must have clear and effective objectives in environmental, climate change monitoring, disaster management, community development, and wildlife monitoring categories.

In addition to meeting those criteria, pitches in the Earth Day Challenge must make convincing cases for why access to a Wingtra drone would prove vital to the venture’s success in benefiting the planet and its people.

Despite its explicit set of rules for the contest, however, Wingtra still encourages anyone with a plan for serving the environment and humanity to give their bid a whirl if it matches the drones-for-good spirit of the Earth Day Challenge.

“If somehow you don’t fit exactly into the above criteria but still believe your application deserves consideration, make a case, and if it is credible it might be considered,” it urges. 

After the March 31 submissions deadline, the company will carry out an internal selection process to come up with a shortlist of nine finalists, which will be announced March 7. From there it will open up voting to outsiders via LinkedIn, during which nominees can use “different channels to collect votes from your network, friends and family.” 

Balloting will end on April 21, with the three winners of their Wingtra drones revealed the following day – which, not coincidentally, is Earth Day.