AMAZON PRIME AIR TO OFFER DELIVERY BY DRONE IN COLLEGE STATION
College Station residents will soon be able to receive Amazon Prime packages via drone.
(courtesy Amazon)
The College Station City Council on Thursday unanimously approved a zoning change at 400 Technology Parkway, near Highway 6 and Rock Prairie Road, to allow an Amazon Prime Air Drone Facility in the city. Customers in College Station will be among the first in the United States to get Amazon Prime orders delivered by drone.
In a statement, Amazon said it is “thrilled about the opportunity to launch this service in College Station and partner with the city and its world-class university on some of the great work they’ve been doing in the area drone technology.”
Prime Air drones can travel up to 50 mph and as high as 400 feet. They can carry packages weighing up to 5 pounds, and will fly to a resident’s backyard to deliver a package before returning to base.
College Station Mayor Karl Mooney said the new facility “presents a tremendous opportunity for College Station to be at the forefront of the development of drone delivery technology.” Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said, “What happens here will help advance drone delivery for the rest of the country and perhaps the rest of the world.”
Some residents voiced concerns at Thursday’s meeting about the drones, citing worries about privacy, noise and safety. The company plans to hold community meetings to allow the public to learn more about the service and ask questions.
There are some of us who use drones for photography (recreational and commercial) and just fly for a hobby. This is the kind of service many of us do not want interfering or even killing what we do. I hope the FAA finds a way to let us “manual pilots” do business with drones and continue to fly recreationally or limits where these delivery drones can fly.