Unlimited Drones? From UPS? In MY Skies? It's more likely than you think! - FAA approves UPS to operate a "Drone Airline"

[rcmaehl]

Source;

UPS
The Verge (quote source)
 

Summary:

UPS has become the first company to get FAA approval for a Drone Airline.

Media:

 

Quotes/Excerpts:

Quote

UPS announced that it has received government approval to operate a “drone airline.” Don’t expect your next package to arrive directly on your doorstep by a drone, though. UPS says it will first use this certification to build a drone delivery network for hospital campuses. Subsidiary UPS Flight Forward, was granted a Part 135 Standard certification. Though drones might not seem like aircraft that need to be regulated like commercial airplanes do, the federal government evaluates them on similar footing. UPS says the certification will let the company fly as many drones as it wants, let its drones fly beyond a pilot’s visual line of sight, carry cargo that weighs more than 55 pounds, and fly at night. None of these things are allowed without an exemption from the FAA, and Part 135 Standard clears UPS to do them all the time. UPS says it’s the first company to get the full Part 135 Standard certification. Other notable companies working on drone delivery, including Amazon Air and Uber Eats, haven’t.

 

My Thoughts:

If you had asked me what company I thought would get certification first through all those applying for Part 135 I would have bet on UPS. Between UPS' previous experience in package delivery and having an existing airline, UPS has significantly less training, employee certifications, and other training needed to pivot to the drone delivery industry. Low cost, same day delivery is likely just around the corner.

[rcmaehl]

6 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

> send to: [address]

> if no answer: "fly through window"

Orders Pixel 4

Drone flies through Window
CAR CRASH DETECTED

[Rohith_Kumar_Sp]

3 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

> send to: [address]

> if no answer: "fly through window"

jokes on you i have an iHome

[HarryNyquist]

Soon:

You hear the delivery drone approach: bzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzz....

You look on your doorstep and see the little sticky note: "Sorry we missed you, we will attempt delivery again tomorrow"

[Taf the Ghost]

This is actually quite interesting, though Local & State restrictions are going to apply. FAA only controls above the uncontrolled Airspace. (Which I believe is 400 feet/120m.) UPS (and Fedex eventually) will be far more sensitive to the cost structures for these types of deliveries. They make a lot of sense in certain contexts. (Think Medical Transport within a city.) What Drones really never have made sense for is constant delivery routes.

 

In before UPS trucks have drones attached to the roof to deliver to those really annoying, out of the way spots.

[spartaman64]

3 hours ago, huilun02 said:

Cool!

Unlimited target practice

the drones are going to have point defense systems

[John_Trollinski]

2 minutes ago, spartaman64 said:

the drones are going to have point defense systems

It is just a "Delivery drone". For purging and for "self defense"

[hobobobo]

12 hours ago, Taf the Ghost said:

This is actually quite interesting, though Local & State restrictions are going to apply. FAA only controls above the uncontrolled Airspace. (Which I believe is 400 feet/120m.) UPS (and Fedex eventually) will be far more sensitive to the cost structures for these types of deliveries. They make a lot of sense in certain contexts. (Think Medical Transport within a city.) What Drones really never have made sense for is constant delivery routes.

 

In before UPS trucks have drones attached to the roof to deliver to those really annoying, out of the way spots.

Drone delivery makes sense for time sensetive cargo considering congestion. In a while, perhaps when the route automation is at a level you need 1 operator per 10/20/30 drones, it will make alot more sense for anything that can be feasibly lifted and delivered by them since the cut on the fuel and personell costs would be immense (im basing this on electicity prices of Russia though with 3 tarification periods and power being dirt cheap for business at night)

[williamcll]

More reason to increase hospital fees.

[Taf the Ghost]

2 hours ago, hobobobo said:

Drone delivery makes sense for time sensetive cargo considering congestion. In a while, perhaps when the route automation is at a level you need 1 operator per 10/20/30 drones, it will make alot more sense for anything that can be feasibly lifted and delivered by them since the cut on the fuel and personell costs would be immense (im basing this on electicity prices of Russia though with 3 tarification periods and power being dirt cheap for business at night)

A Drone Delivery system will mostly be automated, with maybe an operator coming in for the final drop if there's an issue. Kind of like how the US Military's drone fleet is operated. That and electric vs oil-based fuels aren't really the issue. The issue is the functional aspects of a cargo drone that isn't just a research product. The drones will need to be robust and air-worthy. They don't need to be human rated, but they're going to need to be just a step below military hardware. That gets expensive, quickly.

 

Then there's going to be constant maintenance because one major issue and you're writing off a drone & paying damages to someone's property that got a rather unwelcomed visitor. Then, in most cities (where this makes some sense), you need to go above the uncontrolled airspace. That means filing flight plans with the FAA. Which is why Medical Transport of organs still seems like the most likely first major use case for something like this. Really time sensitive deliveries. 

[Tolrag]

Is the sky going to be noisy as all hell when it happens? Are we going to have even more ambiant noise in cities? 

[rcmaehl]

2 hours ago, Tolrag said:

Is the sky going to be noisy as all hell when it happens? Are we going to have even more ambiant noise in cities? 

I'm sure there'll be some Ordinances put in place to limit noise outside of certain hours. Although as a heavy sleeper, I wouldn't mind there being noise at night in exchange for free overnight drone delivery.