Amazon.com Inc. has been awarded an experimental airworthiness certificate to use drones, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Under the contract, Amazon’s logistics unit will be allowed to use drones for research, development and crew training. All flight operations of unmanned aircraft must be conducted at 400 feet or below during daylight hours. The drone must remain within the line-of-sight of the pilot, who must have at least a private pilot’s certificate. As part of the agreement with the FAA, Amazon must provide monthly data to the FAA, such as the number of flights conducted and whether there were unusual hardware or software malfunctions.
Amazon did not immediately respond to MarketWatch for a comment. The company launched Amazon Prime Air in 2013, laying the framework for a future delivery system using drones. Its shares were inactive in after-hours trade.
Source: Market Watch
It will be interesting to see how COA’s and NOTAM’s will be handled. As well as high density areas. I have to submit 48-72 hours in advance of an operation to take to the air. Along with COA requirements for 24 hour and 1 hour notification of the ATC/Approach. Plus notify again when operations are concluded. Imaging 100 packages out for delivery with 100 NOTAM’s? The ATC in Seattle won’t have time for manned air traffic.
This type of operation is possible only when there is complete integration of the RPAS. I believe that this type of exception only applies to tests, in order to obtain the necessary data for future integration. The terms and conditions currently applied are valid only for accomodation, being unnecessary when the full integration of the RPAS is applied.