There is a reality check incoming for many involved in these new growth sectors with regard to the certification standards required to operate over people - for both small unmanned aircraft and 'flying taxi's' or EVTOLS. Aerospace and Aviation is an expensive business, and most of that cost is built in under the auspices of regulation. I'm kind of fascinated to see how the likes of Amazon deals with liability in this setting.

I think the vision of small unmanned vehicles operating all day every day over and around residential areas is unlikely to become reality any time soon, if at all. The major work will be with much larger vehicles providing JIT distribution between hubs to reduce delivery time. I expect the majority of home deliveries to be made by electric vehicles. The exceptions could be the more remote homes. After we get over air taxis and evtols, we can concentrate on the real opportunity with logistics.

Deltasierra010

All that may be true in Warwick, but not in other parts of the UK and the world. The key here is to cut through the hype and identify the use-cases for which drones could be cost-effective. There certainly are some examples. And remember there are many different types of drone with very different characteristics. I am aware of one Africa-based freight airline currently operating 747's that is seriously looking into (big, turbine powered) UAV's as a long term part of their operation. When describing his business model, the CO said that the biggest problem he faces day to day, is his pilots!

(incidentally, although we are still a long way from autonomous, pilot-less airliners, I predict the change will come from the bottom-up with increasingly large and complex UAV's for urgent/high value freight operating under a very different set of rules and requirements)

It doesn't make horse-sense to me.....The amount of energy involved, on a per kilogram basis. How can it be economical?

Trial in Wire:. article on RTE.ie:
http://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2020...food-delivery/

“...expensive compared to delivery vans?” Lets turn that around and imagine that drones had been the normal delivery method for some years. How would we feel about scores of noisy dangerous multi-ton trucks and vans rumbling past our houses? As it stands, existing delivery methods are killing thousands of people directly every year and probably tens of thousands indirectly with their poisonous exhaust fumes. For sure, there are issues to be resolved but why the near-universal determination here to “prove” there is no alternative to the status quo?

If one lands in your back yard can you apply salvage law and keep it?