Amazon orders delivered by drone to customers in Lockeford, Calif. later this year

On Monday, Amazon said that it expects Amazon orders to be delivered by drone to customers in Lockeford, California later this year. The drone delivery service is called Amazon Prime Air and will be free of charge.

Customers in Lockeford who shop on Amazon will be the first in the country to have the option of having their items delivered to their homes by a drone when the feature is rolled out.

“Lockeford residents will play an important role in defining the future,” reads a statement from Amazon. “Their feedback about Prime Air, with drones delivering packages in their backyards, will help us create a service that will safely scale to meet the needs of customers everywhere.”

Amazon orders to be delivered by drone

Amazon Prime Air was introduced to the public for the first time in 2013 during an interview with Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos that aired on “60 Minutes.”

Amazon Prime Air is a delivery service that makes use of drones to drop off customer items. The online retailer said in 2013, “One day, Prime Air vehicles will be as normal as seeing mail trucks on the road today.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted permission for Amazon to deploy Amazon Prime Air for drone deliveries around two years ago.

Amazon Prime Air intends to deliver parcels weighing up to five pounds in less than an hour, and the company says that thousands of products that people buy on a regular basis are suitable for the service.

How will Amazon Prime Air work for customers in Lockeford?

Customers who submit orders that are qualified for Prime Air will get an anticipated arrival time as well as a progress tracker for their packages once they have placed those orders.

The drone is equipped with a sense-and-avoid technology, which enables it to securely deliver items while avoiding potential dangers like other objects and airplanes.

“As our drone descends to deliver the package into a customer's backyard, the drone ensures that there's a small area around the delivery location that's clear of any people, animals, or other obstacles,” said Amazon.

The Amazon Prime Air drone will release the package once it is low enough and will then fly away.

What do you think about Amazon orders delivered by drone?

Let us know what you think about Amazon orders delivered by drone in the comments below. Can you imagine a world in which drones routinely make deliveries to homes around the country? Or do you think that so many drones buzzing around would be a complete nightmare? We are curious to hear your thoughts on this matter.

In 2018, I told the NY Times that I expected that, “Companies like Amazon will make routine drone deliveries to consumers by 2025.” That's only about three years out.