Drone Delivery Service in Dallas

[Ben]

I don't know, man - I think they need bigger parachutes. Some of those packages could knock a guy out.

https://twitchy.com/warren-squire/2025/02/23/dallas-texas-drone-air-package-delivery-backyard-zipline-n2408806

[WLJ]

Skeet shooting with prizes

[HankB]

Skeet shooting with prizes

Four words that win today's Internet. 

[MillCreek]

I am impressed that the drones are dropping the parachutes at speed, as opposed to coming to a hover and then dropping the chute.

[HankB]

I am impressed that the drones are dropping the parachutes at speed, as opposed to coming to a hover and then dropping the chute.

Old technology.

[tokugawa]

Absolutely sure the cartels will be using these for hits, and also sure they will be adopted in smaller versions by governments and NGO's  to to attack civilian dissidents. "slaughterbots" is a chilling vision of the future.

[HankB]

Absolutely sure the cartels will be using these for hits, and also sure they will be adopted in smaller versions by governments and NGO's  to to attack civilian dissidents. "slaughterbots" is a chilling vision of the future.

R/C aircraft were a pretty big thing back in the '70s when I was in college - a couple of other students raced them as a hobby. I asked one of them about using them to transport drugs across the border, and he said "We don't talk about that."  He then continued to say that the radio control "handoff" from a controller on the south side of the border to someone on the north side was "tricky" and the payloads were relatively light.

I asked him about "kamikaze" R/C aircraft and - back then - a good video link for targeting was the main sticking point. But again, it was "We don't like to talk about that sort of thing."

[MechAg94]

R/C aircraft were a pretty big thing back in the '70s when I was in college - a couple of other students raced them as a hobby. I asked one of them about using them to transport drugs across the border, and he said "We don't talk about that."  He then continued to say that the radio control "handoff" from a controller on the south side of the border to someone on the north side was "tricky" and the payloads were relatively light.

I asked him about "kamikaze" R/C aircraft and - back then - a good video link for targeting was the main sticking point. But again, it was "We don't like to talk about that sort of thing."

One of the Dirty Harry movies had a bad guy using a remote control car with explosives.

[MechAg94]

I am impressed that the drones are dropping the parachutes at speed, as opposed to coming to a hover and then dropping the chute.

I am less impressed.  More like concerned.  The wind is unpredictable where I live and the delivery might end up in my yard or the neighbors or out back by the street.  I guess the weather is going to ground drones quite often.  If it is a drone, I would prefer it come down to roof height and drop it. 

I would like to see the drone that delivers when I order 1000 rounds of 308.   

[WLJ]

I would like to see the drone that delivers when I order 1000 rounds of 308.   

It'll drop it on your roof

[Ben]

I am less impressed.  More like concerned.  The wind is unpredictable where I live and the delivery might end up in my yard or the neighbors or out back by the street.  I guess the weather is going to ground drones quite often.  If it is a drone, I would prefer it come down to roof height and drop it. 

That's probably why they use the smaller parachutes. The article claimed that people were getting take out food orders intact, but watching the fall rate on the packages in the video, there's quite a few things that I get delivered that I think would break hitting the ground at that rate, especially if they hit concrete instead of lawn.

[RocketMan]

I think that over time it will be decided that this is an impractical form of delivery.  Too much lost or misdirected merchandise resulting in higher costs for sellers and shippers.  Too bad really, because on the surface it's a neat idea.

[HankB]

Looking at the video in the OP's link (a couple of comments down in the link) it looks like they're using WINGED drones - maybe they don't have "hover" capability like the one pictured at the top of the linked article?

[MechAg94]

Looking at the video in the OP's link (a couple of comments down in the link) it looks like they're using WINGED drones - maybe they don't have "hover" capability like the one pictured at the top of the linked article?

Didn't the Navy give up on level bombing tactics for attacking ships? 

I tend to agree it will be impractical to use this method as a general delivery.  The only way I could see it working is if people had some sort of marked receiving spot for a drone to drop the box into.  Just dropping a package randomly on a property probably would not work. 

[dogmush]

That's probably why they use the smaller parachutes. The article claimed that people were getting take out food orders intact, but watching the fall rate on the packages in the video, there's quite a few things that I get delivered that I think would break hitting the ground at that rate, especially if they hit concrete instead of lawn.

Check your doorbell camera.  Your packages already hit the ground at that velocity just from the average delivery driver punt.

[Angel Eyes]

It'll drop it on your roof

... without a 'chute.

[Hawkmoon]

I don't know, man - I think they need bigger parachutes. Some of those packages could knock a guy out.

https://twitchy.com/warren-squire/2025/02/23/dallas-texas-drone-air-package-delivery-backyard-zipline-n2408806

I agree. I wouldn't want anything even slightly fragile shipped that way.