STRINGTOWN, Okla. (KTEN) —  The Choctaw Nation on Friday conducted its first public drone mission beyond the line of sight.

The tribe's Advanced Technology Initiatives Department welcomed Oklahoma lawmakers — including House Speaker Charles McCall — to the demonstration.

The Choctaw Nation received a unique waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration to fly the remote control aircraft beyond the horizon to test drone missions, including package delivery and to establish realistic payloads.

Chief Gary Batton explained why the Choctaw Nation was selected for the testing program.  

"We're one of the only tribes across the whole United States and some other cities ... it's because of where we're located. it's due to our property that we have here," he said. "We have 142,000 acres, so the testing in a safe environment, because again, we have to implement this into mainstream society."

Batton added that these drone deliveries are paving the way for the future and that Oklahoma ranks third in the nation in the drone industry.