Key facts
- Tamara Hancock has placed over a dozen Amazon drone delivery orders since December 2024.
- The service costs $2.99 per delivery.
- Drones abort delivery if they detect a human or animal.
- A midair collision involving a construction crane caused a 48-hour suspension of drone deliveries.
- Drone noise is comparable to a leaf blower and lasts less than a minute.
- Packages are limited to five pounds and must fit within a specific box size.
- Delivery drones use cameras and optics for navigation, similar to self-driving cars.
Tamara Hancock, a professor and content creator living in the greater Phoenix area, has utilized Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery service more than a dozen times since December 2024. She views the service as a convenient and novel option, finding the brief noise and occasional issues to be worthwhile trade-offs. Hancock, whose content focuses on exploring new technologies, was eager to try the service when it became available in her area, one of the first to receive drone deliveries.
She has ordered items ranging from clarinet reeds for her daughter to supplies for a school project. Hancock notes that the drone delivery option costs an additional $2.99. She explains that the drone's optics are designed to abort delivery if a human or animal is detected, a feature she and her son tested successfully. While most items ordered are heavier than the five-pound limit, she uses the drone service for smaller, urgent needs.
Hancock acknowledges concerns about drone noise, comparing it to a leaf blower or airplane traffic, and estimates the noise lasts less than a minute. She also addresses potential damage to packages, recalling an instance where a plastic bottle of syrup cracked upon landing on concrete due to a technical issue with her designated drop spot. She is working with Amazon to move the drop zone to her lawn. Privacy concerns are also addressed, with Hancock noting that navigation footage can be opted out of saving, similar to self-driving car technology.
Despite a midair collision between two drones and a construction crane that caused a 48-hour service suspension, Hancock remains enthusiastic about the technology. She believes drone delivery is here to stay and encourages others to embrace new technologies with a sense of wonder. An Amazon spokesperson expressed appreciation for customer feedback and highlighted the service's convenience and expanding reach to 500 U.S. cities.