Amazon today said that it has reached agreement to partner the UK government in tests to explore the viability of delivering small parcels by drone. This is the first time such tests will be allowed in Britain. A cross governmental team supported by the Civil Aviation Authority have allowed Amazon to test three key aspects […]
Amazon today said that it has reached agreement to partner the UK government in tests to explore the viability of delivering small parcels by drone.
This is the first time such tests will be allowed in Britain.
A cross governmental team supported by the Civil Aviation Authority have allowed Amazon to test three key aspects of a proposed service. These being: operating drones beyond a line of sight, flying multiple drones by a single operator and avoid-ing obstacles. Drones will carry packages of up to 5Ib (2.3kg), as these make up to 90% of all Amazon sales, according to Amazon.
Both the CAA and Amazon have stressed that safety is the top priority of the tests. There are currently no plans to introduce a commercial service but these tests will be a provide key data for future thinking.
The drones are part helicopter, part plane and will fly up to 10 miles at a height of 100 metres at a speed of up to 50mph.
When a delivery address is reached, the drone lands vertically onto a special landing mat that the recipient places on the property.
