Amazon Logistics, Inc., was issued an experimental airworthiness certificate.
Amazon will need to obey some rules, such as flying below 400 feet and only during daylight hours. The drones will also need to be operated by a pilot. The drones will also need to be flown at least 500 feet away from people, and those people cannot be associated with Amazon’s experiments. On a monthly basis, Amazon will need to provide data on the number of flights it conducts, as well as any other relevant information.
As of now, operating drones for commercial purposes in the US is illegal, but the rules are under revision. It’s is expected that the FAA will issue new rules relating to using unmanned aircraft for commercial and recreational purposes.
Back in July, Amazon asked the FAA for approval to start tests, and in December the company warned that it might start testing their Amazon Prime Air service in other countries.
Paul Misener, Amazon’s vice president of global public policy, said that they would be forced to expand their Prime R&D footprint abroad, if they were not approved for testing in the United States.
