Amazon Wins US Regulators' Approval To Test-fly Drone

mpicpp sends word that Amazon drones may soon deliver your packages. "Amazon.com Inc has won U.S. federal regulators' approval to test a delivery drone, as the e-commerce giant pursues a vision of speeding packages to customers through the air amid public concern over the safety and privacy implications. The Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it had issued an experimental airworthiness certificate to an Amazon unit and its prototype drone design, allowing it to conduct outdoor test flights on private, rural land in Washington state. The experimental certificate applies to a particular drone design and Amazon must obtain a new certification for test flights if it modifies the drone. In return, the company must supply monthly data to the regulators, and conduct flights at 400 feet (120 meters) or below and in 'visual meteorological conditions,' according to the FAA's certificate. The drone operators must also have a private pilots' license and current medical certification."

Comments

Re:Over the top?

[ScentCone]

The FAA doesn't care about the rabbit, it cares about the people. Which it's equally likely to hit if it crashes.

No, that's not what they care about. Because if they did, then they wouldn't consider the exact same flight in the exact same place operated by the exact same people using the exact same equipment in exactly the same way to just fine without a pilot's license if those same operators are doing it for fun.