Amazon's new proposed system of delivering packages via tiny helicopters evokes a plan from many years back to get folks to hospital in a sorta similar way. 
Those needing ambulances were to not only get the fun of going to a hospital, but they were also going to get a free helicopter ride, according to a program launched in Montreal on Aug. 30, 1959. The city bought 21 station wagons to help with the plan and conducted a dry run one year later that would see a helicopter take off from Dorval, land at Benny Farm to pick up a patient and bring him to Champ de Mars where Mayor Fournier would nod on approvingly.The amazin' display was meant to prove that you could get someone to a hospital emergency room in just five minutes.
Except the chopper had mechanical difficulties and never got off the ground, according to Doug Connor of Autair Helicopter Services.
Guess good ol' Doug didn't think of having a back-up chopper on hand in case of such an event.Councilor Harold Cummings, who was also a used car dealer, was left with egg on his face, although he also noted that he was able to drive to hospital in just 17 minutes, so maybe he was behind a conspiracy to subvert the choppers in favour of cars.
Anyway, we envisage a day when the program can be resurrected, except by using tiny little helicopters similar to what Amazon is proposing.
Yeah it might be ridiculous, but in 1983 the idea of people talking on what we once called "car phones" while riding the bus seemed equally absurd.