Sukhoi and UAC Presented a Heavy VTOL UAV

New projects of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in the field of unmanned and combat-training aviation were presented at the International Military-Technical Forum Army-2024 held at the Patriot Exhibition and Convention Centre. One of them is the automated unmanned transport system (AUTS) of off-airfield basing developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau. For the first time […]

Iran Shows Long-Range Drone at Russian Exhinition

Iran has put its long-range Mohajer-10 drones on display at a defense exhibit in Russia, Iran’s official news agency reported Monday. U.S. officials have accused Iran of sending drones to Russia, including the Mohajer-10’s predecessor, the Mohajer-6, that Moscow had used in its invasion of Ukraine. Tehran denies this. Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency […]

uAvionix Achieves FAA TSO Certification for ping200XR Combined Transponder and GPS Receiver

uAvionix, a supplier of avionics technology for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS), has announced that the ping200XR Mode S ADS-B transponder with integral aviation GPS, has received Technical Standard Order (TSO) certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This milestone is the latest major TSO certification for uAvionix and offers the lowest certified Size, Weight, and […]

Wing Displays Latest Aircraft at EAA AirVenture 2024

Wing recently wrapped up at EAA AirVenture, the world’s largest aviation event held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. During the show, Wing demonstrated its drone delivery service in one of the most challenging environments – the bustling airspace above AirVenture. The demonstration experience leverages our universal modular, lightweight setup, allowing us to easily create a nest in […]

Jersey Mike’s drone delivery provider marks 100k milestone

The company perhaps most famous for delivering sandwiches from Jersey Mike’s and pizza from Little Caesars just crossed a milestone. Flytrex, which is a drone delivery company based in the U.S., just made its 100,000th drone delivery.

Unlike other drone delivery competitors that delivery items like medical supplies, Flytrex solely focuses on using drones to deliver food. That includes goods from grocery stores or prepared meals from restaurants. Flytrex operates in certain suburbs of both North Carolina and Texas. Little Caesars, Charleys Philly Steaks,  Brinker International (which is the parent company of major chains including Chili’s Grill & Bar and Maggiano’s Little Italy) and Jersey Mike’s are its most notable clients.

Over at Jersey Mike’s, it seems as customers love having drone delivery as an option.

“At Jersey Mike’s Subs, we are focused on bringing our customers the best experience – and that includes delivery that is convenient for their schedules and preferences,” said Scott Scherer, Chief Information Officer at Jersey Mike’s Franchise Systems, Inc. in a prepared statement. “Partnering with Flytrex, our fans can enjoy our authentic, fresh sliced and fresh grilled sub sandwiches how and when they want them.”

Flytrex North Carolina Jersey Mike's drone delivery customer

Drone delivery specifically in the food delivery space offers a few benefits including the potential for:

  • Faster delivery speeds (drones don’t get stuck in traffic)
  • Reduced carbon emissions
  • Fewer road accidents

In fact, according to Cornell University research, about half of food delivery drivers in a survey said they had been in a collision while making a delivery. 

Flytrex also claims it’s much faster than car deliveries. According to Flytrex data, the average Flytrex meal delivery time is just four minutes and 30 seconds. Compare that to what Flytrex states is between 8-12 minutes for a car to execute the same delivery without traffic. It’s an even heftier 15-20 minutes with traffic.

What to know about Flytrex

Flytrex first landed in the U.S. in late 20019, initially launching its wide-scale U.S. flights from Holly Springs, North Carolina. Prior to that, the Israel-based drone delivery company garnered some attention for its drone delivery operations in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Now, Flytrex operates in a few other areas of North Carolina, including Durham and Raeford. A close relationship with the North Carolina Department of Transportation has enabled Flytrex to clock in some successes. That includes in early 2023, when Flytrex scored approval to conduct drone deliveries under a Standard Part 135 Air Carrier Certification from the FAA

Besides the decision to hone in on food deliveries, Flytrex CEO Yariv Bash has taken a fairly strong stance in a few aspects of drones. That includes early criticism of competitors who relied on drones to land for package delivery. At the time, Bash cited issues such as kids and pets getting in the way of the drone, causing unnecessary problems as it lands. These days, very few drone delivery companies land their drones — for reasons that Bash predicted.

Flytrex’s app, which enables customers to have items delivered to them via drone. (Photo courtesy of Flytrex)

How Flytrex compares to other drone delivery companies

While 100,000 meals delivered might seem like a big deal, it’s still small potatoes in the broader drone delivery world. In April 2024, Zipline (which most largely considered world’s largest drone delivery company) crossed the 1 million drone delivery milestone. Flytrex’s milestone is only a tiny fraction of that.

Zipline largely focuses on medical deliveries in developing countries. After all, it’s 1 millionth delivery entailed two bags of IV fluid. They flew from Zipline’s distribution center in Ghana’s Western North Region to a health facility nearby.

But even Zipline has leaned into fast food deliveries, including a recent partnership with fast casual salad chain Sweetgreen.

Meanwhile, Google-sibling company Wing is seriously dominating the food delivery space. That’s particularly evident in Australia, where this summer it announced an expansion to the Melbourne area. There, Wing will partner with DoorDash, which it’s already been working with elsewhere in Australia. In the U.S.,  Wing works closely with Walmart.

The post Jersey Mike’s drone delivery provider marks 100k milestone appeared first on The Drone Girl.

Flytrex Reaches New Heights: 100,000 Drone Deliveries and Counting in the U.S.

Flytrex hits milestone of 100,000 food deliveries by DRONELIFE Features Editor Jim Magill Flytrex, a drone-based food delivery service with operations in North Carolina and Texas, on Tuesday announced it had reached the milestone of making 100,000 food deliveries, making it the largest operation of its kind in the country. In a statement, the company […]

The post Flytrex Reaches New Heights: 100,000 Drone Deliveries and Counting in the U.S. appeared first on DRONELIFE.

Expand Your Impact with DroneDeploy’s Resilient Futures Grant Program

DroneDeploy launches new grant initiative to support nonprofit organizations using reality capture technology. DroneDeploy.org has announced the Resilient Futures Technology Grant Program, offering up to $75,000 in grants to eligible nonprofit organizations in 2024. This initiative seeks to foster inclusion and enhance outcomes for underresourced communities by utilizing reality capture technology. The program aims to […]

The post Expand Your Impact with DroneDeploy’s Resilient Futures Grant Program appeared first on DRONELIFE.

SimActive Releases Correlator3D Version 10.2 With Enhanced Editing Tools

New Features Aim to Streamline Military and Commercial Mapping Operations SimActive Inc. has announced the release of Correlator3D™ Version 10.2, introducing significant upgrades designed to improve productivity and reduce editing time for both military and commercial users. The latest version of Correlator3D™ offers a comprehensive overhaul of mosaic and point cloud editing tools, which aim […]

The post SimActive Releases Correlator3D Version 10.2 With Enhanced Editing Tools appeared first on DRONELIFE.

Bulgarian Company Launches Loitering Munition Production

Bulgarian company Samel-90 has launched an assembly line for a new one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) named SAMJET. Developed in collaboration with Swiss defense drone specialists ALIDRONE SAGL, the SAMJET is designed for cost-effective and rapid production, with a design resembling the Iranian Shahed-136 drone. SAMJET is a next-generation loitering munition drone that features […]