Wing plans to begin deliveries in the Blacksburg and Christiansburg areas of Virginia. The company has been conducting research at nearby Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership.
Unlike Amazon.com Inc.’s Prime Air, another would-be drone delivery company, Wing will sell items from local merchants. Now that it has gotten FAA approvals, it will begin finding business partners in the two towns, Burgess said.
Wing’s drone, a hybrid between a helicopter and plane, is able to lift off vertically and fly horizontally at high speeds. It carries packages in its belly, lowering them to people’s yards with a tether while it hovers a safe distance overhead.
The company also recently won approval for drone deliveries from regulators in Australia, where it has conducted extensive testing.
Because the idea of drones flying over people’s homes is so new, the company also plans to conduct extensive outreach to local government leaders and the public, Burgess added. Actual deliveries are expected to start within several months.
The FAA’s approval demonstrates the rapid maturation of drone technology, he said.
“It shows these devices can be value added in our communities,” Burgess said. “They can be a faster, cleaner, less expensive way to transport things while still adding to the safety of society.”
This article provided by Bloomberg News.