FAA Needs to Unleash the Commercial Potential of Drones

[Drone_Pilot]

FAA Needs to Unleash the Commercial Potential of Drones

 

[BSauce955]

FAA Needs to Unleash the Commercial Potential of Drones

Interesting to say the least.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Looking forward to UPS using the drones now that they got approval, I think it going to really help with taking the stigma out of drones overall to the masses.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain.

 

[hiflyer201]

Looking forward to UPS using the drones now that they got approval, I think it going to really help with taking the stigma out of drones overall to the masses.

I'm afraid that's going to be bittersweet at best. I can't see it working without severe restrictions to airspace. The FAA is not going to chance a midair over a populated area.

 

[Prop Wash]

I'd like to see how the package delivery companies are going to do this. Yes, BVLOS is a crucial part, but around here (near Sacramento, CA), the hubs are far apart and each service a large geographical area. With a limited range on the drones, I don't see how they are to use this effectively unless they deliver packages in the limited range and the trucks deliver beyond the range or they deliver from the trucks. If the latter, the driver would also have to be a certified drone operator.

I get the concept of the article - regulations need to get better. But how will they be integrated so that they don't over-step the consumer operations of drones?

 

[Chaosrider]

I'm afraid that's going to be bittersweet at best. I can't see it working without severe restrictions to airspace. The FAA is not going to chance a midair over a populated area.

There is already the risk of a mid-air over populated areas, just from current operations.

If the FAA looks quantitatively at the trivial added risk from drone operations, they might do the right thing.

TCS

 

[Paint Rock Drones]

RE:UPS - perhaps the trucks will drive to a neighborhood, and then the driver will become a drone operator for the "last mile" of the delivery. Of course that presumes a great deal of training, since delivery drivers may or may not make good drone operators...

 

[CactusJackSlade]

I believe Amazon and some of the other big biz boys pulled the plug on further development of aerial deliveries?...

 

[Angel new MA2]

There is already the risk of a mid-air over populated areas, just from current operations.

If the FAA looks quantitatively at the trivial added risk from drone operations, they might do the right thing.

TCS

I watch a light/Dron carnaval with over 100 drones operated by computer. Is a matter of good quality GPS and software only
No need for drivers training more than push the button to turn it on

 

[Starz]

I believe Amazon and some of the other big biz boys pulled the plug on further development of aerial deliveries?...

Yes. They finally realized the error of their ways.

 

[PepperBird]

When drones crowd the airspace, recreational pilots will be crowded out.

 

[SethB]

…With a limited range on the drones, I don't see how they are to use this effectively unless they deliver packages in the limited range and the trucks deliver beyond the range or they deliver from the trucks. If the latter, the driver would also have to be a certified drone operator.

I’d speculate that delivery companies will be successful in procuring waivers or more likely COAs that allow them to launch a dozen drones under AI control, monitored by an operator in the truck. Drones deliver, return, then drive the truck to the next neighborhood.

It could be a driver *and* an operator in the truck, with the driver hand-delivering to the addresses not yet in the aerial access system.

At enterprise scale certification of driver/operators would seem a fairly trivial task.

 

[GFields]

Thanks for sharing

 

[Prop Wash]

I’d speculate that delivery companies will be successful in procuring waivers or more likely COAs that allow them to launch a dozen drones under AI control, monitored by an operator in the truck. Drones deliver, return, then drive the truck to the next neighborhood.

It could be a driver *and* an operator in the truck, with the driver hand-delivering to the addresses not yet in the aerial access system.

At enterprise scale certification of driver/operators would seem a fairly trivial task.

That sounds like a feasible possibility. I wonder what rule changes will happen w/delivery drones. We now have to 'make way for manned aircraft' - What's it going to be when the deliveries start coming?

 

[Intruder Weasel]

Looking forward to UPS using the drones now that they got approval, I think it going to really help with taking the stigma out of drones overall to the masses.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain.

I would just say, "be careful what you wish for." Having the FAA get more involved in droning will give them more reason to hire more people who need the work needed to create the additional/modified/new rules/restrictions/requirements/limitations....ad nauseam....
I agree that more use of drones could/would be beneficial to many companies but, as someone who simply enjoys the sport of droning and the creativity involved with aviation, photography, .etc that it involves I would prefer not to ask the FAA to get more involved.
Not that I have an opinion............

 

[ZingDroneDelivery]

RE:UPS - perhaps the trucks will drive to a neighborhood, and then the driver will become a drone operator for the "last mile" of the delivery. Of course that presumes a great deal of training, since delivery drivers may or may not make good drone operators...

Hi there!

"Last mile" drone delivery operations are absolutely on the way to being incorporated into cities. We've recently attended several conferences where government officials have spoken on the inevitability of an aerial ecosystem that features drone delivery. The FAA has also published some information outlining the steps they're taking to make drone delivery a reality.

I work with Zing Drone Delivery - we provide an end-to-end drone delivery platform with autonomous software and plug-and-play hardware for the most common consumer drones. Check us out on instagram @ZingHQ

We're definitely looking forward to the future of drone delivery!

 

[Ty Pilot]

I think we need to keep perspective in mind. If we suggest that there will be drone delivery of some limited scale in the near future, or even now, that is one thing; but to suggest that companies whose business is the delivery of hundreds of thousands of tons of product per year . . . are going to switch to drones - is just folly.

An average delivery truck like Amazon or UPS or FedEx uses, delivers 350 or more packages - in a single day - with one (1) relatively low skilled worker - in practically all weather conditions.

Assuming each of these packages could fit within the payload parameters of a given drone, the number of sorties, battery recharges, planning, routing, loading, weather delays and so much more that would need to be undertaken, makes mass delivery by drone so complicated and expensive that companies like Amazon have dropped the notion.

How many drones would it take to equal just this many vans? And this is just one of hundreds or even thousands of such depots in the US.

 

[Starz]

Hi there!

"Last mile" drone delivery operations are absolutely on the way to being incorporated into cities. We've recently attended several conferences where government officials have spoken on the inevitability of an aerial ecosystem that features drone delivery. The FAA has also published some information outlining the steps they're taking to make drone delivery a reality.

I work with Zing Drone Delivery - we provide an end-to-end drone delivery platform with autonomous software and plug-and-play hardware for the most common consumer drones. Check us out on instagram @ZingHQ

We're definitely looking forward to the future of drone delivery!

Interesting concept. Last mile delivery service. May be quicker to just keep the truck going for the last mile. By the time the delivery person stops, sets up whatever aircraft and package needs to be sent off, the other mile would have been accomplished.
Sorry, I’m not a dreamer.
Hopefully you have it all figured out and some money can be made.

 

[Deleted member 93449]

There may be some isolated applications for package delivery but I see no realistic way it can be done on a large scale approaching the scale of UPS, Amazon, etc. In my mind drones are more eyes than arms and legs.

 

[AZDave]

There may be some isolated applications for package delivery but I see no realistic way it can be done on a large scale approaching the scale of UPS, Amazon, etc. In my mind drones are more eyes than arms and legs.

Exactly this. I buy a LOT of stuff from Amazon (via Prime) because I live in a semi-rural area and don't want to bother with going into town every time I want something. The percentage of items I buy that could be carried by any reasonably sized drone is very, very small.

The biggest gripe I have with this method of shopping is the immense amount of energy that gets wasted in the form of cardboard even though we try to recycle most of it.