Yes...as I mentioned to Nakor....it's bound to become a new olympic sport...so won't be too successful...even IF the FAA gives approval...

Island Dog

reply 15

Well to be fair, I'd probably be one of the ones using it as a target.

Mwahahaha! 

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/push-for-liftoff-on-drone-deliveries-in-australia-20131014-2vixx.html 

It'll potentially happen first in Oz.  Seems that CASA is more 21st century than the FAA ....

Whos that tapping at my window? 

All for the sake of publicity..............typical of some of the games played by Virgin/Branson.........but it can be very effective

^ That's something I didn't think of. Good thinking, Leo the Lion. 

Find an emotionally loaded buzz word (drones), put together a video. Sit back and watch interest spike. No coincidence it's announced in the frenetic 'buying' season.

i'd rather have some courier service drones than the armed police drones Montreal will have next year. at least for now it wont be lethal weapons they say.

http://rt.com/news/canada-montreal-police-drones-694/  :/

This one annoys me because its a moot point. I am in the shipping business (UPS) and I know accidents/incidents happen. Lost a coworker about 5 years ago in an incident where his vehicle was struck and then it caught fire. He was burned to death. Another driver hit and killed a child. The child was skateboarding and hidden by an SUV. He popped out into the street in front of the UPS vehicle. The driver didn't have a chance to see the child and was unable to stop in time. These things will happen no matter what vehicle type is used.

On the other hand, the cost in time and money I can see making this not work. I don't think Amazon realizes how much in resources is reduced by using UPS/FedEx/DHL companies as we can do multiple delieveries (heck have done 15 Amazon packages in 15 stops in 30 minutes a few times) from multiple companies with only one driver/truck and then pass on the savings. Sure its not a straight transfer but amount of volume each member in the chain does (and the driver does the least amount) makes the ratio still 5 to 1 in favor of UPS/FedEx/DHL companies.

Think of it as a marketing ploy. There are RC toys out now called quad copters. Videos already demonstrated how they can be configured to fly in formation, you can find them on youtube. Technically anybody who wants their own private drone can have one. What they do with it is another matter.

not like ups isn't doing it

http://www.theverge.com/2013/12/3/5169878/ups-is-researching-its-own-delivery-drones-to-compete-with-amazons

and.... free parcels

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/12/04/amazons_nonexistent_drone_delivery_army_already_pwned/