Amazon issued with licence for delivery drone madness Amazon has been granted a special "experimental airworthiness certificate" by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to test out new drones. The only problem is it's completely useless to the online retailer as it contains a line-of-sight requirement that would make its main aim of delivering packages impossible. It is over two …
Still can't see it; you need to be awful sure of your safeties.
Extreme example: Amazon, please deliver to my work address - Control Tower, 1 Airport Way, Heathrow...
For the back of beyond delivery it might make sense, but they're going to have to solve the range problem and if it's not autonomous it defeats the object.
(Oh, and an AI so it can wait until you're out and *then* attempt the delivery...)
"It probably won't be many more years before packages are winging to the doorsteps of buyers around the World"
I can't see the aviation authorities in other countries being any more likely to allow drone operations than the FAA and the UK CAA; in practice a lot of these will be following the US and UK experiments with drone operations to save themselves the cost of doing the research and development, so flying parcels will probably happen just after flying cars.
The drone fans out there won't like it, but the safety issues around drones are a lot more complicated than for delivery vans; this may be a thing that will only happen when we have complete automatic control, including traffic control, of all aircraft. By then it may be illegal for a human to pilot an aircraft, and "pilot" will be a once-was job like "elevator operator".
I can't see the aviation authorities in other countries being any more likely to allow drone operations than the FAA and the UK CAA
The Germans have already allowed it.
Vic.
It is an experimental licence. That means that it the FAA don't think the technology has been proven enough to fly "solo" with just a camera, so during the test period they have to remain in VLOS. I don't think that is too much to ask for the experimental phase.
Once Amazon can prove they are reliably, they can probably move on to another level and drop the VLOS requirement.
I do think the pilot's licence and medical are good though.
Oh. he can still use it to hold up traditional delivery vehicles and then he'll have a whole truckload of presents to choose from. The present doesn't need to go to waste, hell he could even just use it to hold up a bank and use the loot to buy whatever he wants.
Sure beats getting him to steal a random present that he probably doesn't want anyway - and a lot less waiting around for a potential flight path over the trailer park.
"it says that the pilot must have "at least a private pilot’s certificate and current medical certification"
Oh, Amazon is clearly way ahead of these nitwits - the former astronaut they hired is probably in anticipation of the times when drone operators will need certificates on supporting 10+ G's too (next to the ones about having won the Ironman Triathlon at least three times, being clairvoyant and being able to See The Matrix - there are reports that a requirement of having personally met Xenu is also being considered).
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