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In this DRONELIFE Exclusive: What if we consider drones as community entities and assets, rather than just robots flying in the sky delivering goods and services? DRONELIFE is honored to publish this guest post by Salima Bhimani, Alphabet’s first Chief Strategist and Director for Inclusive Technology, Business, and Leaders from 2017. DRONELIFE neither accepts nor […]
The swift (Apus Apus) is a bird with a strong tendency to nest in colonies, even very numerous ones, and has the particular habit of carrying out festive carousels made up, at times, of hundreds of specimens. Not to be confused with the swallow, of which it is not even a relative, the swift stands out for its significantly larger dimensions, for its longer, narrower and more rigid wings, typically falcate and for its smoky black plumage with a white spot on the chin. It is a real flying machine: it only lands for nesting and never on the ground, because then it would not be able to take off. A long-range migratory species, it reaches the reproductive sites at the beginning of April and immediately begins to frequent the cavities, where however it will only lay at the beginning of May in the nest reused for several years (even 20), made up of plant material mixed with saliva. The nestlings are cared for for 40 days due to the need to reach the complete ability to fly when they leave the nest, which is not surprisingly located in an elevated position: in fact, due to their very short legs, the swifts are difficult to fly once they have landed on the ground. But what meat! Those who have tasted them remember them as a delight. The nestlings, those now ready to fledge, which were taken from the nests around the beginning of July, ended up in the pan. A barbaric custom in every sense, it seems that the Lombards introduced it, indisputably brutal and today absolutely forbidden. However, it is very understandable from the perspective of a poor economy, where animal proteins, especially if produced without human effort, were extremely precious. Throughout the Tuscan – Emilian – Romagna Apennines, with irregular distribution and concentrated in a few points, there are rondonaie towers. They were mainly used to make swifts nest, but the hospitality granted by man was of interest: the nestlings ended up in the pan. But even in rural homes on the upper floors, usually in the attic which was almost always used as a warehouse or emergency shelter, numerous holes were prepared for the purpose of feeding the nesting of swifts. The openings are small circular holes that lead, through terracotta pipes, into a compartment.
The holes are of a size calculated to let the swifts in, hindering the entry of other birds such as predators which, being larger, cannot pass, or small birds which struggle to pass through the pipe. They thus reproduce the conditions in which the swift nests in nature. Narrow and deep cracks in the rock walls. The nesting compartment is always accessible from inside the tower or attic via a removable wooden door. It was from this hole that at the end of July, when the nestling had reached adult size, the rapacious hand of man penetrated to capture it. There are those who maintain that the practice dates back to the Middle Ages, those to the Renaissance and those who maintain that the concept is much older. Perhaps Lombard or earlier, perhaps it arrived in Italy around the year one thousand from the East, where already in the 9th century it was customary to hang wooden boxes along the walls of the tallest buildings to attract swifts. I agree that proteins were at no cost but with a swift you eat little, however in the larger swiftlets it was possible to have dozens of nests in close rows. In colonies of this size, considering that a swift raises two or three young, it was easy to obtain a considerable number of “preys”. But how could the swift accept such malevolent help from man every year? Apparently there wasn’t a minimum of foresight, the owners of the swifts took everything, down to the last little one. Why did the swifts always come back and the population didn’t die out? Probably because the doors were only opened at the last moment before fledging, when the chicks were as big as possible and some of them managed to escape. Some swallows still exist but the swallows no longer end up in the pan and not just because the law prohibits it. Many owners dedicate loving care to their swallows, keeping them in perfect order. Swifts don’t litter, they don’t disturb, on the contrary they keep you company.
Amazon is working on launching a drone delivery service in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area. And this week, new details have emerged as to what exactly this Arizona Amazon drone delivery service will entail.
On July 10, the Federal Aviation Administration released a draft environmental assessment for Amazon Prime Air’s proposed drone delivery operations in Tolleson, Arizona. With it comes critical details around how big this operation might actually be.
Under the proposal for Arizona Amazon drone deliveries, Amazon would launch commercial drone package deliveries out of a new Prime Air Drone Delivery Center (PADDC) in Tolleson, Arizona. That drone delivery center sits on the same property as another existing Amazon warehouse.
This first-of-its-kind PADDC would mark a departure from the way Amazon currently operates its other deliveries out of College Station, Texas. The PADDC is a hybrid fufillment center and delivery station. The benefit? Amazon employees can fulfill, sort and deliver products all from one site. In theory, that reduces delivery times.
Speaking of faster delivery times, Amazon plans to run its Arizona drone deliveries to both neighboring homes and commercial facilities. And homes aren’t far away. After all, the nearest residential neighborhood is just 1,300 feet west of Amazon’s delivery center. To be eligible for home deliveries, customers typically have to have some sort of yard, either in their own single-family residence or in certain apartment buildings.
Delivery won’t be 24/7, but it will be during most waking hours — even when it’s dark out. Amazon’s proposal accounts for drone operations between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Amazon anticipates making up to 469 delivery flights per day. That means it could potentially execute more than 170,000 drone delivery flights to customers over the course of a year. Though, realistically expect fewer flights than that given factors such as weather (drones will only fly on clear days), customer demand and potential for other technical hiccups.
What drone does Amazon use for its deliveries?
Image courtesy of Amazon
The drone actually conducting the deliveries in Phoenix? That’s Amazon’s MK30 drone.
Here are some other key Amazon MK30 drone specs:
Maximum takeoff weight: 83.2 pounds (though they only actually carry packages up to five pounds)
Capable of flying in light rain (though only flies during clear weather)
Vertical take-off to get off the ground, then transitions into horizontal, wing-borne flight
Electric powered
Includes sense and avoid tech
Quieter than past Amazon drone models via custom-designed propellers (reduces perceived noise by almost half)
Can fly further than past Amazon drone models (increases distance by almost double)
First revealed to the public in fall 2023
Image courtesy of Amazon
Specific to these Arizona Amazon drone operations, the Mk30 would fly in a proposed operating range of 7.5 miles from the warehouse, which makes for a potential operating area of up to 174 square miles.
What’s next for Arizona Amazon drone deliveries?
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which was signed into law on January 1, 1970, requires that the FAA consider environmental factors in its decision whether to approve Arizona Amazon drone deliveries.
Given that, the FAA has opened a public comment period. With it, the FAA is soliciting public feedback. To share your feedback, submit your comments via email by Aug. 11, 2024 and include “Prime Air Tolleson Draft EA” in the subject line.
Besides getting FAA approvals, Amazon is also working with local officials in Tolleson. It plans to have its service running by the end of 2024.
Amazon drone deliveries in California and Texas
While Amazon awaits FAA approval for its Arizona Amazon drone delivery program, Amazon drone delivery already operates in a couple of locations in the United States. As of July 2024, Prime Air drone delivery is currently up and running in College Station, Texas. It’s also conducted somewhat extensive testing in Lockeford, California. For eligible College Station customers who also are purchasing drone delivery-eligible items (and yes, even certain prescriptions are eligible for Amazon drone delivery), the actual deliveries are free.
In those cities, delivery windows are much more restricted than the Arizona proposal. Amazon drone deliveries in Texas typically run during limited daylight hours only, pending weather. As of July 2024, deliveries only are available between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Night deliveries and operations during heavy winds are not yet available.
Expanding Texas operations
That said, Amazon has been on a quest to expand its existing operating hours. In a separate proposal submitted under the National Environmental Policy Act, Amazon seeks approval to expand its College Station, Texas drone deliveries. College Station is about 80 miles away from both Houston and Austin, and is home to Texas A&M University.
Amazon’s Texas expansion plans mean getting bigger both in terms of distance and operating times. That’s due in large part to the ability to add Amazon’s new MK 30 drone to its fleet. Currently, Amazon uses the MK27-2 drone in Texas.
Their proposal would expand the College Station operating area beyond the current 3.7-mile radius. If approved, Amazon’s operating area in Texas would grow from 43.7 square miles to 174 square miles.
Also in Texas, Amazon is seeking to expand its flight times from the current daylight-only hours to between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. (as proposed in Arizona). That would increase Amazon’s current maximum in College Station of about 200 operations per day to an estimated 470 drone flights per day. That would result in going from an estimated 52,000 flights per year in Texas to an estimated 171,329 flights per year.
Much like with Arizona, those expansion plans are contingent upon NEPA review. The public comment period for the Prime Air College Station draft environmental assessment closed on July 12.
Texas in general is a big spot for drone delivery test projects. For example, Wing, which is the drone-focused sibling company of Google, conducts drone deliveries primarily with Walmart in Frisco, Texas which is a city near Dallas.
Of course, expanded Texas operations — plus a new project in Arizona — is hardly all for Amazon, which is the world’s largest retailer outside of China. Though it didn’t specify where, Amazon says it intends to open further U.S. locations in 2025.
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