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| Flirtey hexacopter drone (Engadget) |
On Friday, March 25, the news reported that the first FAA-approved drone delivery to a home in an urban neighborhood had been successful. On March 10, a hexacopter created by Flirtey delivered a package containing "food, water, and a first-aid kit" (Moon) to a home in Hawthorne, Nevada. This delivery, although small, was a major step forward in drone delivery systems. The hexacopter flew according to its own navigation system and pre-programmed flight path; there was no intervention by a human pilot during the flight. This was not the first drone delivery for Flirtey. In July 2015, the company succeeded in a rural drone delivery to a medical center in Virginia (Sonner). The company was ecstatic about their recent drone flights. Matthew Sweeney, the CEO of Flirtey, remarked that "'We are rapidly approaching a time where drone delivery is a reality, not just in the United States but around the world'" (Atherton).
Drone delivery faces numerous challenges which must be overcome before drones become a regular form of delivery. First and foremost, the drones must be able to safely deliver their packages and return to their distribution sites. While in the air, the drones must recognize and avoid other aircraft and birds; once near the delivery destination, the drones need to be able to navigate trees, power lines, buildings, and any other obstacles which may intercept the drone's flight path. The drones must be equipped with batteries which will last for a round-trip flight to and from the delivery destination (Sneed). Despite these technical and structural challenges, one of the biggest hurdles for drone delivery is the Federal Aviation Administration. Drone technology is an entirely new field of aviation and therefore requires amendments and additions to existing FAA policies. For instance, the FAA requires that drones must be operated by a pilot and must remain in sight of the operator during its flight. The use of a pilot defeats the idea of unmanned drone technology and costs more money, and the drones will often need to fly beyond the view of the home base to make their deliveries (Sneed). In addition, the FAA mandates that drones cannot make "commercial deliveries" unless given permission (Sneed); this has been a major complication for companies such as Amazon, which only deal in commercial deliveries. As with any new technology, there are many hindrances which must be overcome; however, the flights by Flirtey lend hope to the future of the drone industry. The FAA granted permission to Flirtey for both of its recent drone flights, indicating that the FAA may be opening up to the idea of drone delivery systems. Even though drone technology may not gain widespread use any time soon, Flirtey's hexacopter gives us a glimpse of a new and exciting area of aviation.
Atherton, Kelsey D. "The First Urban Drone Delivery Just Happened in Nevada." Aviation. Popular
Science, 25 March 2016. Web. 26 March 2016.
Moon, Mariella. Nevada Gets First FAA-Approved Urban Drone Delivery. Engadget, 26 March
2016. Web. 26 March 2016.
Sneed, Annie. "Drone Drop-Offs at Your Door Won't Happen until the FAA Delivers." Tech.
Scientific American, 7 Sept. 2015. Web. 26 March 2016.
Sonner, Scott. For First Time, Drone Delivers Package to Residential Area. ABC News, 25 March
2016. Web. 26 March 2016.
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