KCK one step closer to Amazon drone delivery
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - Residents in part of Wyandotte County may soon be able to order Amazon packages for one-hour drone delivery.
The City Planning Commission on Monday night approved Amazon’s plan to build a drone launch pad at its warehouse south of I-70 and Turner Diagonal.
A similar proposal is also in the works in Kansas City, Missouri.
Prime Air is already operating in two cities in Texas and Arizona. In the early days of the Texas launch, there were news reports of people upset about the noise. Amazon has since introduced a new drone model called the MK30. An Amazon spokesman said they have received no complaints since introducing that model.
At Monday’s hearing, Amazon cited a third-party sound study in Arizona reading 68.4 decibels at the loudest spot, which they say is in the range of a vacuum cleaner.
One person in flight range of the KCK warehouse previously expressed worry that overhead drones would stress their livestock, saying the livestock would perceive the drones as “sky predators” like vultures. That concern was raised in a written packet without a name or address included.
At Monday’s Planning Commission hearing, there was no public opposition. Greg Kindle, president of the Wyandotte County Economic Development Council expressed .
Commissioners approved the plan with enthusiasm. When an Amazon representative made mention of a similar plan underway on the Missouri side of the metro, one of the commissioners asked, “Can we be first?”
KCTV5 spoke with residents nearby. Most were indifferent. One man was giddily excited.
“That’s some really cool technology being utilized in a way that we have only really seen in science fiction movies and stuff,” said John Beauchamp. “It’s just cool to see it coming to my local area.”
Here are some key specifications submitted by Amazon about the Prime Air MK30 drone and its service:
- The drones measure 4′11″ x 5′6″ in size and weigh 83 pounds.
- They will fly at 55 to 60 miles per hour at an elevation of 200 to 400 feet.
- They hope to deliver to backyards within a 7-1/2 mile radius of the launch pad.
- The drone would hover at 12 feet above the ground and drop the package from there.
- The drones are equipped with technology to detect and avoid objects, animals and humans. For example, if a child or pet is in the backyard where a package is to be dropped, the drone will return to the launchpad and the customer will be informed that delivery was not completed for this reason.
- Drone delivery would be restricted to items weighing 5 pounds or less.
- Each drone would deliver only one package at a time.
- Customers would need to opt in for Prime Air service.
- The autonomous drones will be monitored by human operators at the launchpad site.
The next step will be to get approval from the Federal Aviation istration (FAA), which will examine the airspace and flight plan and perform an environmental impact analysis.
The Amazon representative said they will be asking the FAA to assess a plan for 250 drone flights per day. He said it’s unlikely it will begin with that many. He expects the number will grow organically as customers adapt to the option.
CORRECTION: KCTV5 initially reported there had been noise complaints in both Arizona and Texas. Those complaints were only in Texas. An Amazon spokesman said they have had no complaints since introducing a new drone model.
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