by DRONELIFE Staff Author Ian J. McNab
International “every little thing store” Amazon recently announced that they’d received FAA approval to expand their drone delivery operations, having latest permissions to conduct BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight) missions across the College Station, Texas area. T his latest approval will allow Amazon to expand their operations in additional crowded urban areas, in addition to opening the door for future expansions into other, (yet to be publicly named), cities within the US. Currently, drone delivery is restricted to College Station and Lockeforde, California.
This approval is a results of the FAA’s rigorous review process, which included the submission of intensive engineering materials, including Amazon’s proprietary onboard “detect and avoid” system. This was then followed by extensive real-world testing. In an effort to gain approval, Amazon conducted further flight demonstrations in front of FAA flight experts. This included live displays around such dynamic obstacles as planes, helicopters, and even a hot-air balloon, all meant to reveal the security and efficacy of their delivery system.
In accordance with the press release, Amazon goals to give you the option to process 500 million packages per 12 months by drone by the tip of the last decade, showing their commitment to a UAV-driven future whilst key staff to the project were laid offin early 2023.
This latest approval by the FAA follows some impressive displays of their Mk. 27 delivery drone’s capabilities, including an area “pharmacy-by-drone” service that guarantees residents of the realm access to vital medication right to their door in lower than an hour. This can be replaced over the approaching 12 months with the hybrid VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) Mk. 30, which is a 6-rotor design which is each smaller and lighter than the prevailing model, with around twice the effective flight range and higher capabilities during inclement weather.
Amazon’s original press release, announcing the brand new approvals, is offered here.