Amazon and UK government team up for UK drone trials

[electrotor]

Hmm, let's see how this pans out. If it is successful perhaps it will improve the image some of the ill informed public have but if it results in some crashes and injuries I hope this will not reflect badly on our recreational use.

http://postandparcel.info/74466/news/amazon-and-uk-government-team-up-for-uk-drone-trials/

[Loopdreams]

I'd be more concerned that this sort of thing will eventually limit recreational use heavily when commercial operators pay the government wodges of cash for exclusive access to the airspace under 500ft.

[FPVSteve]

How fast are they? My Skywalker can carry a fair bit of weight .. just wondering how much a kevlar net is .. for research purposes you understand...

[_tj_]

I'd 2nd that loop.

Then we'd all have to put Amazon drone stickers on ours ;)

[Billy_boy_2010]

it's a publicity stunt imo.

we are several years off the tech imo.

[Loopdreams]

It's one they've been going on about for a while so I think it's more than publicity.  Amazon don't really need to be getting cheap advertising in tech and postal trade journals.  But I too think it's probably a while before it's truly viable, but once it works then there's relatively little infrastructure needed to expand the operations.

[FPVSteve]

IN my experience as a parent who flies quads, this will end in disaster the moment a 2yr old spots a drone coming and his mothers back is turned. Kids get excited by "HELICOPTERRRRRRRS" and presumably these large drones will have large propellers. You see where I'm going.

Dogs also love to chase them.

The liability insurance must be amazing. I just can't see how it's feasible for such a niche.

I love quads, I love "drones" I love aircraft. I also love having a bit of banter with a delivery driver, I wouldn't want one of these novelty drones coming down in my garden and accidentally slicing the roses off my bushes. It'd be hilarious the first time, then it'd just get annoying....

[Billy_boy_2010]

It's one they've been going on about for a while so I think it's more than publicity.  Amazon don't really need to be getting cheap advertising in tech and postal trade journals.  But I too think it's probably a while before it's truly viable, but once it works then there's relatively little infrastructure needed to expand the operations.

True but it's making national news not just tech journals.

And the tech is so far away it's just not feasible. So it must be PR.

batteries don't last long enough
GPS way points and landing quite labour intensive still
No avoiding objects or other drones
Loads of health and safety stuff they are bound to fail and hit someone

it's exciting tech and I welcome it but we ain't there yet

[highlander]

As far as I remember idea was sort of dedicated landing area for deliveries where you go and pick up the stuff which of course has its own merits like how many of these you need per square mile etc.

All the fuss brings  to my mind this video:

! No longer available

[Billy_boy_2010]

IN my experience as a parent who flies quads, this will end in disaster the moment a 2yr old spots a drone coming and his mothers back is turned. Kids get excited by "HELICOPTERRRRRRRS" and presumably these large drones will have large propellers. You see where I'm going.

Dogs also love to chase them.

The liability insurance must be amazing. I just can't see how it's feasible for such a niche.

I love quads, I love "drones" I love aircraft. I also love having a bit of banter with a delivery driver, I wouldn't want one of these novelty drones coming down in my garden and accidentally slicing the roses off my bushes. It'd be hilarious the first time, then it'd just get annoying....

I suppose the point is it won't be a novelty after a while. Thus two year olds will be less interested.

I can see it being feasible at some point. Especially for the 5% of customers who live quite far out of the way- farmhouses etc- which take 20 mins to get to down tiny roads.

They probably won't land. if they stayed a bit higher it would be safer and they could drop small deliveries by parachute 30' from the ground. 

Anyway it's still years away