Amazon gets green light from FAA to begin drone testing
Amazon has just gotten the go-ahead from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin unmanned drone tests near its R&D facility in Seattle, USA. This could represent a small but important step in making delivery drones which deliver packages straight to your doorstep a reality. Hit the link for more details!
Delivery drone for Amazon Prime Air. (Image Source: Forbes)
Imagine having your package delivered to your doorstep after placing an order online. Amazon’s announcement of plans in 2013 to use drones to deliver packages straight to customers’ homes may have seemed like the future arriving too early, and indeed the retail giant ran into regulatory pitfalls when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned the use of drones to deliver packages for a fee.
However, Amazon is now one step closer to its goal as the FAA has granted the online retailer permission to begin testing its unmanned drones. The go-ahead comes in the form of an experimental airworthiness certificate issued to Amazon Logistics, Inc. for an unmanned aircraft design.
Amazon had also previously snubbed the use of government-approved test sites for drone testing, but in yet another small victory, the company will now be able to conduct testing near its Seattle R&D facility.
It must also abide by certain provisions in the experimental certificate and conduct all flight operations at 400 feet (approximately 122m) or below during daylight hours and with clear visibility. And in what should still prove to be a significant limitation, the drone must not stray from the line-of-sight of the pilot and observer. In addition, drone pilots must have a private pilot’s certificate and current medical certification.
Despite this positive development, Amazon and other companies hoping to make delivery drones a reality must still overcome significant legal, regulatory and practical hurdles. These include safety issues such as navigation among treetops and crowded areas and the need for regulations to be updated to allow drones to be operated over meaningful distances and not simply within the pilot’s line-of-sight.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration via Engadget
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