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Amazon Gets Green Light to Fly Their Drones... for Research and Development

The inevitable seems to be around the corner as the Federal Aviation Administration is getting closer and closer to granting some American companies the right to fly their drones for commercial purposes. FAA just announced they are allowing Amazon Logistics, Inc. to operate aerial systems for research and development and crew training. This is quite a big step for the giant commerce company who is planning to deliver via UAVs.
Amazon Gets Green Light to Fly Their Drones 1 photo
Photo: www.ryot.org
Oh, capitalism, we thank you for your existence. Well maybe capitalism is not always the best, but competition sure is, since it’s the major engine of modern economies and most likely the main reason humanity is going forward at this pace today.

And competition, on a global scale this time, is also the reason FAA started rethinking their attitude towards granting drones to do whatever they wish. Whether it’s because DHL is already testing their drones delivery system in Germany as does Ali Baba in China or just because the pressure coming from American companies is too big, one thing is certain, we’ll soon be seeing these flying puppies delivering our Fifty Shades of Grey books.

Under the provisions of the certificate, all flight operations must be conducted at 400 feet or below during daylight hours in visual meteorological conditions. The UAS must always remain within visual line-of-sight of the pilot and observer. The pilot actually flying the aircraft must have at least a private pilot’s certificate and current medical certification,” FAA conditioned the grant.

Moreover, it appears this deal is a two-ended thing since Amazon will need to provide monthly data to the FAA. The company must report the number of flights conducted, pilot duty time per flight, unusual hardware or software malfunctions and any deviations from air traffic controllers’ instructions. In other words, you test you drones and we learn from their mistakes so we can build up proper regulations. Cool, whatever is necessary to finally get the service up and running works for us.
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