Are you sitting down? Robot aircraft will deliver Amazon packages .
As we already mentioned in our previous publication, it seems that all this promotion regarding the use of drones for Amazon, by CEO Jeff Bezos, was not just promotion. The Federal Aviation Administrationannounced that it has approved an experimental airworthiness certificate for the drone design submitted by the world's largest e-shop.
The certificate is equivalent to a learner's license and authorizes drone, meaning it allows the company to fly below 400 feet, in daylight and with appropriate weather and visibility. It also requires that the drones remain within the visual field of the pilot and observer at all times. The pilot who actually conducts the flight must hold at least a private aircraft pilot's license and a current medical certification.
As with all FAA-issued experimental drone airworthiness certifications, the license must undergo some oversight before it can be officially approved. The popular company will have to provide the FAA with monthly reports on how many flights have been conducted, the number of pilots participating in each flight, information on unusual hardware or software malfunctions , as well as any deviations from air traffic controller instructions and any unintentional loss of communication links.
Certainly, with all these requirements, the company is not going to use unmanned aircraft very soon to achieve the coveted 'within one hour' deliveries to its important customers, however, the famous e-shop, after official permission from the FAA, will be among the first companies to use drones for commercial purposes in the USA.
