Drone Deliveries: walking to get your package is so last century.

[The Droning Company]

Drone Deliveries: Walking to Get Your Package Is So Last Century

 

[orionshooter]

If ever there was a reason to believe drone delivery is a poorly thought out and borderline asinine idea, it’s all in this website. Prior to visiting it I was on the fence - no more.

How do you ensure your young children, much less your pets, refrain from all of the dangerous activities described during a delivery which would occur without notice?

I love technology but this seems to create intolerable risk.

 

[MS Coast]

All cuteness, no content.

The idea is that drone delivery lets the customer avoid walking to the front porch for a delivery? Is the drone going to deliver the package to your recliner in the den?

 

[Nanny Ogg]

Maybe for delivering mission critical goods to inaccessible places, but otherwise it looks like a solution in search of a problem. It reminds me of back in the early days of the internet when someone had the brilliant idea of ordering hot meals and having FedEx deliver them.

 

[AlanL]

Think less about home deliveries and more along the lines of courier services. There is a market for point to point deliveries of time sensitive documents, medical supplies, etc.

 

[Droning on and on...]

You all are missing the political gem this is for the Global Warming issue. That will put a lot of on-going steam behind this.

 

[notadrop]

Need an overhaul of the law and distance drones can be from people and buildings at the very least.

 

[Nanny Ogg]

Interesting question: What if the drone's point of origin is on one side of an airport and the delivery point is on the other side. Is the delivery drone going to fly around the perimeter of the NFZ to make the delivery and make it back? What could go wrong?

 

[Droning on and on...]

Interesting question: What if the drone's point of origin is on one side of an airport and the delivery point is on the other side. Is the delivery drone going to fly around the perimeter of the NFZ to make the delivery and make it back? What could go wrong?

That is an interesting question. While I have no information about this, my speculation is that the regs under development will require flight centers/warehouses to be located some minimum distance from airports, like 3 miles.

Seems like a simple way to address the issue with little impact generally on the deliveries.

 

[notadrop]

Still won't deal with legislation covering people, buildings and proximity to them?

 

[Droning on and on...]

Still won't deal with legislation covering people, buildings and proximity to them?

Correct. Rules specifically drafted to provide collision safety around airports won't address safety of people, property, or structures not near airports.

Why would it?

 

[notadrop]

...because if you are delivering TO people or buildings you will have to!

 

[Herongate]

And what will this added air traffic mean for us, drone pilots? It’s one thing to pay attention for airplanes or helicopters possibly flying near by but how could we be constantly looking for deliver drones?

 

[mavic3usa]

Drone delivery never going to happen; as I mentioned earlier laws and regulations will never permit anything like this to work effectively. We're asking the same questions from 10 years ago and still, no answers. There's a good case to be made for personal delivery services but there's no viable path to success. Seems like in the 2020s, all anyone wants to excel at is drone light shows and concept flying passenger drones and imaginary tech that nobody wants. I guess it's good to put on demos and show off vaporware but never have any intentions of building and deploying anything real in the near future. The smart people of today are more than happy to show off what can be done in a closed environment in the next 50 years but have no idea how to turn it into a business that works next year given the obstacles and the unknowns.

Same thing is happening with driverless cars and other tech like VR that we keeps talking about but nobody uses. The coolest drones in CES 2024 are the one outdoors doing the same tired drone light shows. Otherwise, the tech future is water generators, electric bikes, and little "robotic" gimmicky expensive stuff. I wonder how long we'll talk about AI before it actually does something productive that everyone can use.

 

[AlanL]

And what will this added air traffic mean for us, drone pilots? It’s one thing to pay attention for airplanes or helicopters possibly flying near by but how could we be constantly looking for deliver drones?

A very good question to be asking. But not one I have an answer for.

Worth noting that the delivery drone in your nearby airspace is on an autonomous flight and is part of a fleet of 8-12 other flights going on under a single pilot at the same time. That is a scenario under consideration by the FAA under the BVLOS ARC recommendations.

 

[Laggard]

Think less about home deliveries and more along the lines of courier services. There is a market for point to point deliveries of time sensitive documents, medical supplies, etc.

The only realistic use I could see is if someone needed their insulin some place where a pharmacy courier is unable to go. Can’t imagine where that would be.

I’m so not into the ideas of drone deliveries now. The infrastructure needed and cost vs the benefits just doesn’t seem feasible.

 

[AlanL]

The only realistic use I could see is if someone needed their insulin some place where a pharmacy courier is unable to go. Can’t imagine where that would be.

I’m so not into the ideas of drone deliveries now. The infrastructure needed and cost vs the benefits just doesn’t seem feasible.

I certainly see no use case for delivering anything to my house via drone vs. surface transportation. I have to chuckle when I see the delivery drone Amazon is trying to use in flight. Graceful isn't the word that comes to mind

 

[Mike M]

The article tries to be a little to cute. Her points about what what to not do should emphasize that those activities are illegal, not "we recommend" and "we'd like".

 

[Droning on and on...]

I certainly see no use case for delivering anything to my house via drone vs. surface transportation.

So therefore there isn't one? Because you don't see it?

 

[Droning on and on...]

Drone delivery never going to happen;

Already are.