Kickstarter Zing drone delivery service

[PropSpin]

Lake Lanier, not far form my house, is a super busy lake in the summer time. Just think what a drone delivery service could offer. Pizza Hut, drinks, ice, you name it. You could fly 10 deliveries on one battery.

For advertising, you could tow a banner of some sort or with an M2E, you could broadcast on the speaker.

You are joking, right? How could you remotely get anywhere close to 10 flights doing this with a mavic? If you're flying more than 50 yards, I'll give you maybe three flights. Most items are likely to have a bit of weight to them, and then factor in the drag of the basket, box, etc. as well as wind, along with needing to hover and climb and you don't have many trips at all. How much can the M2P safely carry anyway w/out drag being a factor?

 

[Former Member]

You are joking, right? How could you remotely get anywhere close to 10 flights doing this with a mavic? If you're flying more than 50 yards, I'll give you maybe three flights. Most items are likely to have a bit of weight to them, and then factor in the drag of the basket, box, etc. as well as wind, along with needing to hover and climb and you don't have many trips at all. How much can the M2P safely carry anyway w/out drag being a factor?

Here is some math for ya.

Distance on one battery: 18 minutes battery time at 20mph = 6 miles = 31,680 feet

Average distance for one delivery: 4,000 feet round trip max

Trips per battery: 31,680/4,000=8 trips before having to recharge at 30% battery

 

[Former Member]

Oh, by the way, the earth is round. (Thus spoke Columbus)

 

[PropSpin]

Here is some math for ya.

Distance on one battery: 18 minutes battery time at 20mph = 6 miles = 31,680 feet

Average distance for one delivery: 4,000 feet round trip max

Trips per battery: 31,680/4,000=8 trips before having to recharge at 30% battery

Okay, nice on the math, but that's presumably under ideal conditions with no worthwhile payload weight or drag factored in, nor wind, nor obligatory hovering or climbing to cruise altitude.

I'm skeptical that under real world operating conditions you would be able to do more trips than three safely, if that. Ten minutes per transaction (from power up, to return and power down) seems to be a reasonable time, so even under ideal conditions (just flying and none of the other concerns) you're at 30 minutes.

And again, what is being delivered? A pack of gummy bears? If you're talking about a lake or harbor, you're probably going to be delivering beverages of some sort and liquids are heavy - frozen (ice) - or not.

To make any type of service like this profitable, there's going to be quite the premium on the order. How many people are going to be willing to pay the price? We're not talking about captive audiences that don't have much of a choice (airports, entertainment venues, etc.) and can't plan ahead and bring their own supplies.

So I think:
1. With a mavic 2, it is not physically realistic/possible
2. There's not a market for it. I don't see enough demand for what the M2P can deliver even at a lake, etc., especially given how much a delivery would cost.
3. Running a service like this would make a lot of people unhappy. To make it worthwhile, you'd need to constantly have drones in the air. Depending on the situation and how dispersed people are will determine how much of a nuisance having these things buzzing around will be. At a lake, delivering to boats, maybe not a problem. At a beach, probably a problem.

 

[PropSpin]

Oh, by the way, the earth is round. (Thus spoke Columbus)

You felt this was necessary, why?

 

[Kilrah]

Here is some math for ya.

Distance on one battery: 18 minutes battery time at 20mph = 6 miles = 31,680 feet

Average distance for one delivery: 4,000 feet round trip max

Trips per battery: 31,680/4,000=8 trips before having to recharge at 30% battery

Are you pulling people's legs or actually being serious? The latter would be surprising given your involvement with these devices.

 

[Former Member]

Are you pulling people's legs or actually being serious? The latter would be surprising given your involvement with these devices.

I'm serious. I just think this could be a good opportunity for the right people in the right place. Summer job as a drone delivery pilot at the lake would have lit my fire back then if I was old enough to do it.

 

[MavicMikeK]

@PropSpin, if you really believe drone delivery is not profitable you better let Amazon, UPS and FedEx know cause they’re all investing millions in it for some strange reason. Zing with their 3D printed basket however I agree with you that it is difficult to turn it into a profitable venue. That being said I think it’s a cool idea for fun or emergencies like flying a styrofoam life preserver out to a drowning victim that can’t swim or flying one end of a rope out to a person who fell through the ice on a frozen lake as examples of rescuing missions.

First Successful Drone Delivery of Kidney for Transplant Saves Patient

A drone delivered a donor kidney to surgeons for successful transplantation in a patient with kidney failure at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

uavcoach.com

 

[Thomas B]

@PropSpin, if you really believe drone delivery is not profitable you better let Amazon, UPS and FedEx know cause they’re all investing millions in it for some strange reason. Zing with their 3D printed basket however I agree with you that it is difficult to turn it into a profitable venue. That being said I think it’s a cool idea for fun or emergencies like flying a styrofoam life preserver out to a drowning victim that can’t swim or flying one end of a rope out to a person who fell through the ice on a frozen lake as examples of rescuing missions.

First Successful Drone Delivery of Kidney for Transplant Saves Patient

A drone delivered a donor kidney to surgeons for successful transplantation in a patient with kidney failure at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

uavcoach.com

I thing the medical tansfers are a real use. Doubt if the drone could carry a rope as rear as you could throw it.

 

[DroningOn]

@PropSpin, if you really believe drone delivery is not profitable you better let Amazon, UPS and FedEx know cause they’re all investing millions in it for some strange reason

The only thing they’re investing in are a couple of cheesy videos and putting out some press releases to garner free publicity.

 

[PropSpin]

@PropSpin, if you really believe drone delivery is not profitable you better let Amazon, UPS and FedEx know cause they’re all investing millions in it for some strange reason. Zing with their 3D printed basket however I agree with you that it is difficult to turn it into a profitable venue. That being said I think it’s a cool idea for fun or emergencies like flying a styrofoam life preserver out to a drowning victim that can’t swim or flying one end of a rope out to a person who fell through the ice on a frozen lake as examples of rescuing missions.

First Successful Drone Delivery of Kidney for Transplant Saves Patient

A drone delivered a donor kidney to surgeons for successful transplantation in a patient with kidney failure at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

uavcoach.com

If you'll notice, we were talking about the zing service that specifically targets smaller drones like the mavics most people here own. Given payload capacity, use cases, etc., etc. no I don't see it as being remotely profitable and I don't see the demand/market for what the mavic could deliver at the delivery cost that would be necessary to make it come close to being profitable.

Obviously, the big boys think they'll be able to turn a profit, otherwise they wouldn't pursue it. To do so, they're operating costs are going to have to match or undercut what their vehicle delivery costs now per package, OR they could use them to supplement their ground fleet for deliveries where there's a lot of traffic and/or more rural and remote delivery sites. I have no idea what those numbers look like or what it'll take for them to get there.

But like I've said in many threads, I personally hate the idea of our skies being cluttered with this crap - just another form of visual and noise pollution that we simply don't need with respect to delivery of consumer goods. Not to mention even more reduction in lack of privacy due to the cameras these things carry around. Oh, and there's also the inevitable negative impact on recreational flying and people trying to run a small business doing imaging work. I'll give you that there's certainly a cool and "neat" factor to all of this, but I think that the reality of consumer goods delivery by drone is likely going to suck.

 

[Former Member]

@PropSpin, if you really believe drone delivery is not profitable you better let Amazon, UPS and FedEx know cause they’re all investing millions in it for some strange reason. Zing with their 3D printed basket however I agree with you that it is difficult to turn it into a profitable venue. That being said I think it’s a cool idea for fun or emergencies like flying a styrofoam life preserver out to a drowning victim that can’t swim or flying one end of a rope out to a person who fell through the ice on a frozen lake as examples of rescuing missions.

First Successful Drone Delivery of Kidney for Transplant Saves Patient

A drone delivered a donor kidney to surgeons for successful transplantation in a patient with kidney failure at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

uavcoach.com

Those are both good ideas.There are always going to be naysayers, and critics, but Im happy to see this product, even if it is just a startup.

 

[Former Member]

But like I've said in many threads, I personally hate the idea of our skies being cluttered with this crap - just another form of visual and noise pollution that we simply don't need.

Why do you own a drone? Isnt that contributing to the problem?

 

[Former Member]

I agree with you that it is difficult to turn it into a profitable venue.

It is really not that difficult to make a profit if you already own a drone.

 

[Former Member]

These days, it's tough to make a living as a drone pilot. Ok, you get your 107, then you start Dronebase, knocking on doors, doing weddings if you can get them, and thats great for part time work. But what if you want to do it full time? It's just not that easy without having a fall back income.

Many of my friends do aerial work as a sideline, and thats what its perfect for. Take the work when you can get it, dont be too choosy when first starting out, and you will slowly build a loyal customer base.

Zing might not make people millionaires, but it will give them something to fall back on. Concept, fantasy, hairbrained idea, whatever you want to call it, a dedicated person can make a go of it. A dedicated person can make a go of any business.

I try not to shoot peoples ideas down, I always try to find the bright side of things. I have been an entrepreneur most of my life, and to entrepreneurs, the glass is always half full.

 

[Thomas B]

....I try not to shoot peoples ideas down, I always try to find the bright side of things....

Why do you own a drone? Isnt that contributing to the problem?

Flying for fun? Isn’t that why most of us got a drone to begin with?

 

[Former Member]

Flying for fun? Isn’t that why most of us got a drone to begin with?

I would think that yes, fun is the reason why most people buy recreational drones. Amateur photography, older pilots who cant or dont want to fly any more, or just to annoy your neighbors (joking)

I would compare using a recreational/consumer level drone for delivery to using your personal car to drive Uber or Lyft. You own it anyway. Why not try to make some money with it.

As far as fun is concerned, I think that flying a drone and making money at it would be fun and serve a purpose. Plus you can deduct it on your taxes. Cha ching.

 

[Former Member]

By the way, I have no dog in this fight, but usually route for the underdog.

 

[Thomas B]

I would think that yes, fun is the reason why most people buy recreational drones. Amateur photography, older pilots who cant or dont want to fly any more, or just to annoy your neighbors (joking)

I would compare using a recreational/consumer level drone for delivery to using your personal car to drive Uber or Lyft. You own it anyway. Why not try to make some money with it.

As far as fun is concerned, I think that flying a drone and making money at it would be fun and serve a purpose. Plus you can deduct it on your taxes. Cha ching.

The latter makes sense... I think I’ll incorporate and write off all my drones as overhead. Then sell them off, every 5-7 years and file BK dissolving the company... then start again buying my new drones...

 

[Former Member]

The latter makes sense... I think I’ll incorporate and write off all my drones as overhead. Then sell them off, every 5-7 years and file BK dissolving the company... then start again buying my new drones...

I have 4 words for you. Cayman Islands Offshore Accounts.