Amazon Prime prepares for takeoff

 https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/31/amazon-prime-now-drone-delivery-fleet-gets-faa-approval.html?utm_source=digg

 

The approval will give Amazon broad privileges to “safely and efficiently deliver packages to customers,” the FAA said. The FAA certification comes under Part 135 of FAA regulations, which gives Amazon the ability to carry property on small drones “beyond the visual line of sight” of the operator. 

Amazon said it will use the FAA’s certification to begin testing customer deliveries. The company said it went through rigorous training and submitted detailed evidence that its drone delivery operations are safe, including demonstrating the technology for FAA inspectors. 

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Will kids want to play with them?  Will people steal them?  Stay tuned...

 

Hawk decapitates R/C pilot

 https://imgur.com/gallery/EjFIGGn

 

Birds have flown somewhat close to my quadcopter, but I think it was curiosity so far.  Don't wanna fly around parenting birds.

Eagle takes down a drone

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bald-eagle-takes-down-michigan-government-drone-n1236687?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma

 

The bird of prey attacked the Phantom 4 Pro Advanced quodcopter drone about 162 feet in the sky on July 21, "tearing off a propeller and sending the aircraft to the bottom of Lake Michigan," according to the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

"The attack could have been a territorial squabble with the electronic foe, or just a hungry eagle," the department said.

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I flew along some cliffs taking video, and when I reviewed the video, there were 2 hawks sitting in a tree close to where I was headed.  Apparently they weren't bothered much by my quadcopter.

 

Secret spy drone plan cancelled, revealed

 https://www.yahoo.com/news/cia-built-nuclear-bird-drone-124500313.html

 

The aircraft was originally based on the characteristics of large, loitering birds, but this changed in time to include actual bird-like characteristics. The CIA described Aquiline as a “small, bird-like surreptitious vehicle with sufficiently small acoustic, visible, and radar cross section to permit it to operate in the natural physical signal environment of living birds.” Radars and human sentries at sensitive sites would mistake Aquiline for a bird and pay little attention to it.