Amazon Airships

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PaulMKE

Pre-takeoff checklist
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http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN14I1NR

"Amazon.com Inc has filed for a patent to use airships to store products and serve as a base for delivery-drones.

According to the patent filing, drones launched from the so-called "airborne fulfillment centers" (AFCs) would use far less power than those launched from the ground.

The AFCs would hover at about 45,000 feet and be restocked and resupplied by "shuttles or smaller airships."

Besides the danger to passenger jet traffic in the flight levels, the danger to all other traffic in class E airspace is concerning. Sure, they would probably make drop zones where the drones can get below 3k feet AGL, but they have to go horizontal at some point, making low level VFR highly dangerous.

Or am I too pessimistic?
 
If successful say goodbye to all of the postal jobs.
 
It's an abuse of the patent system is what it is. Of course, nothing new to Amazon. The idea of launching aircraft from airships not only is hardly novel, it has actually been employed to a small extent in the past. The Naval Airships of yore carried the N2Y aircraft to deliver personnel (and possibly other things).
 
Drones for commercial purposes such as delivery will be operating below 400' AGL. (So says the FAA.) I'm not sure how Amazon intends to get them from 45,000' to 400' AGL. But imagine: no real estate costs for warehousing, no pesky state or local real estate taxes, no local government revenue at all... Hmmm. How long before govt folks figure that one out?

John
 
jsstevens said:
Drones for commercial purposes such as delivery will be operating below 400' AGL. (So says the FAA.) I'm not sure how Amazon intends to get them from 45,000' to 400' AGL. But imagine: no real estate costs for warehousing, no pesky state or local real estate taxes, no local government revenue at all... Hmmm. How long before govt folks figure that one out?

John
Click to expand...

Already planning my floating house.... One problem, how do I get my cars into the garage....???:confused::)
 
FloridaPilot said:
If successful say goodbye to all of the postal jobs.
Click to expand...

Except the USPS actually works, doesn't charge too much, gets things delivered more or less on time, and I haven't had anything broken in memory.

A airship with a drone fleet, sounds more like a fun college project than a real world solution.
 
It's going to be interesting to see how it can be deployed, if they're serious. It obviously only makes sense in fairly urban areas where a drone hop is pretty quick. These are the areas where Amazon just uses independent contractors in their personal cars now (when I lived by IAD a car would show up at all hours with a gazillion Amazon boxes stuffed into every available space to deliver my stuff). The problem with urban areas is that they are also tend to be in airspace where a lumbering airship isn't likely to be exactly welcome.
 
flyingron said:
It's an abuse of the patent system is what it is. Of course, nothing new to Amazon. The idea of launching aircraft from airships not only is hardly novel, it has actually been employed to a small extent in the past. The Naval Airships of yore carried the N2Y aircraft to deliver personnel (and possibly other things).
Click to expand...
Have you read the patent's claims, or are you being this on the description from a Reuters reporter who likely knows nothing about patent law?
 
Lindberg said:
Have you read the patent's claims, or are you being this on the description from a Reuters reporter who likely knows nothing about patent law?
Click to expand...

I read the actual patent. Here you go if you want to do so: https://www.google.com/patents/US9305280
Just wrapping a "business" motive around something that's already done isn't novel. The only thing that hints at novelty is the fact that it's dropping autonomous bombs rather than piloted device. Still it's more inline with a ICBM MERV in that respect.

They've got other issues to deal with in practice. They propose to put this thing up at 45000'. We've not had a whole lot of airship technology that can sustain such altitudes. They also need to find some practical shuttle to upload the stuff. Dropping autonomous drone-bombs is the easy part.
 
flyingron said:
I read the actual patent. Here you go if you want to do so: https://www.google.com/patents/US9305280
Just wrapping a "business" motive around something that's already done isn't novel. The only thing that hints at novelty is the fact that it's dropping autonomous bombs rather than piloted device. Still it's more inline with a ICBM MERV in that respect.

They've got other issues to deal with in practice. They propose to put this thing up at 45000'. We've not had a whole lot of airship technology that can sustain such altitudes. They also need to find some practical shuttle to upload the stuff. Dropping autonomous drone-bombs is the easy part.
Click to expand...
The claims are what identify the patented invention. Has this been done before?

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:
under control of one or more computing systems configured with executable instructions;
receiving an order for an item from a user located in a metropolitan area, wherein the item is maintained in an inventory of an aerial fulfillment center (“AFC”) that is airborne at an altitude;
instructing an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) located in the AFC to engage the item;
instructing the UAV to depart the AFC; and
instructing the UAV to navigate to a delivery location within the metropolitan area and disengage the item at the delivery location.
Click to expand...

I don't think users order warheads to be delivered to their locations. But if I'm wrong about that, there are ways to have the patent invalidated. But the only anyone I'd expect to care would be someone other than Amazon who plans to use UAVs stationed at aerial fulfillment centers.
 
How is this any better than ohhhhh, Let's say a Walgreens ? Are people too fast and lazy to make a trip to the store these days that they would want a giant blimp raining down crap to their home so they don't have to get off their fat ass and make a trip to the store for some toothpaste?
 
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