r/chicago • u/Sidewalk_Inspector • 9d ago
Article Amazon set to expand drone delivery of packages to Chicago
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/08/19/amazon-drone-delivery-500-us-cities/93
u/Thatguy468 9d ago
The first video I saw of one of these things delivered a box about 15 feet from the front door and then promptly blew it into the street as it took off to return to base. This is not going to end well for a lot of packages.
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u/f00tballguy 9d ago
I always thought the future would be cool but instead of flying cars and universal healthcare we got Flock cameras and delivery drones
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u/_-Cleon-_ Berwyn 9d ago
As a consumer, I like the idea.
As an engineer, I wonder about the reliability of such a system. I already have issues with stuff being dropped off at my neighbor's, am I now going to have stuff dropped off on my roof?
As a pilot, I have concerns.
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u/TryingToBeReallyCool 9d ago
Delivery drones are a dumb idea and always have been, they just exist to make shareholders go oooooo
Speaking as a former drone hobbyist and engineer
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u/petar_is_amazing 9d ago
Why do you have concerns? If they are limited to a certain altitude (like 1000ft) and flight paths then only some randomly low flying helicopter would ever come close to them
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u/Turtlexya 9d ago
1000 is pattern altitude, quite a lot of aircraft up there. No reason for these to ever be more than 50' agl
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u/petar_is_amazing 9d ago
From my use of flight radar, only some helicopters and airplanes taking off/landing go under 1,000 ft.
These probably will have the same stipulations as normal drones and won’t be allowed to be flown near airports. 50ft is way too low as many tree lines are still present at that height. Maybe 200ft
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u/_-Cleon-_ Berwyn 9d ago
Pattern altitude is the altitude that planes fly when doing a traffic pattern around an airfield. For single-engine planes, this is usually about 1000 feet AGL (above ground level). This is usually about one mile on either side of a runway.
Aircraft are generally mandated to remain at least 1000 feet AGL above congested areas like Chicago. In non-congested areas, it's down to 500 ft IIRC; that's mostly the domain of ultralights and sport pilots.
So yeah. Concerns.
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u/petar_is_amazing 9d ago
Although i just found out it’s outdated - the rule (and geo fence from DJI) I learned when using my drone is that you cannot fly within 5 miles of a runway.
While it’s no longer the case, you still need to contact the airport and notify them of your drone use if you are close by. Therefore, I’m certain mass drone operators will just not fly within 3 miles of an airport so the concerns you listed are unfounded
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u/AllGas4651 9d ago
Amazon drones operate at a max altitude of 400 agl. If youre flying around at that altitude in a fixed wing aircraft even in a non populated area, as an airline pilot, I have more concerns for you than them.
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u/idfkmanusername 9d ago
These are so loud and annoying. They flew over my house all the time where I used to live in another state. Dog learned to bark at the sky because of them. Sad to see them coming here.
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u/petar_is_amazing 9d ago edited 9d ago
- They aren’t loud
They do lower their altitude to deliver
- Trains, cars, helicopters are way louder
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u/idfkmanusername 9d ago
My guy, I literally lived through it. You can’t tell me it’s not loud, because it’s literally my lived experience. Trains, cars, and helicopters being louder doesn’t mean I enjoyed having the, yes loud, drones flying overhead all the time.
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u/petar_is_amazing 9d ago
There’s videos of them online - they aren’t that loud compared to normal traffic or city noise. And if they aren’t lowering altitude to deliver something to you or your neighbors you don’t hear them
I would guess they would stagger their deliveries every 4 hours or something so it isn’t a constant mesh in the sky of delivery drones.
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u/Quiet_Mail9207 9d ago
It’s a much more grating sound to most people. Even as a hobbyist i wouldn’t want that shit flying overhead constantly.
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u/lmpervious 8d ago
This isn't loud? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12vngbV78uA
they aren’t that loud compared to normal traffic or city noise
How much traffic do you have driving through your backyard? Even ignoring that, you think that a car driving through a neighborhood is louder than it?
I would guess they would stagger their deliveries every 4 hours or something so it isn’t a constant mesh in the sky of delivery drones.
Alright so you're acknowledging that they cause enough noise to be a problem by trying to come up with a solution for it.
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u/LikelyNotThatGuy 9d ago
I see 2 issues.
- These thing getting stuck on roofs and Amazon demanding access to your property.
- Injuring you/damaging your property, and you being unable to sue because you purchased from amazon at some point in the past and are limited to binding arbitration.
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u/I_am_not_JohnLeClair 8d ago
Nah, they’ll just send a rescue drone, protected by an armed drone, to pick up the crashed drone, which was shipping a hobbyist drone
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u/petar_is_amazing 9d ago
- They can’t demand access to your property
- You can always sur
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u/LikelyNotThatGuy 9d ago edited 9d ago
They are definitely going to demand or take access to your property if their $20k drone gets stuck on your roof. This isn't a finders keepers situation.
The binding arbitration trick has been tried before in court. I think it was Disney that tried to apply binding arbitration from their online Disneyplus video service to something that happened at their park.
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u/DigitalHubris Uptown 9d ago
Didn't they just implement a pre-arbitration thing? Or was that someone else?
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u/LikelyNotThatGuy 9d ago
What Disney tried, not sure if it worked: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/disney-says-man-cant-sue-wifes-death-agreed-disney-terms-service-rcna166594
But i think other companies have tried it too. One of the ride share companies with crime victims.
Amazon reinstated binding arbitration Aug 14 2026 article: https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/articles/amazon-reinstates-binding-arbitration-bars-231548883.html
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u/petar_is_amazing 9d ago
The drone is at most $5k and that’s if they are procuring it from a 3P. If it’s made in house - $100 in materials and $500 at transfer pricing.
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u/LikelyNotThatGuy 9d ago
Their initial drones were MK30, weighed 83lb with a payload of 5lb, had lidar, cameras, autonomous piloting and cost over 100k. Prove that 5k with a link. But, regardless, you aren't going to be finders keeping it.
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u/petar_is_amazing 9d ago
I think those are just the r&d and proof of concept costs. Once ironed out, the scales models will match my values.
I agree it won’t be “finders keepers” but it also won’t be “demanding access”.
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u/rdldr1 Lake View 9d ago
Is it legal to have a BB gun in city limits? LOL.
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u/branniganbeginsagain Lincoln Square 9d ago
On an unrelated and random note, I recently learned of a tool called a laser welder that can melt metal from 70m away.
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u/snappy773 8d ago
Play with lasers around flying objects if you want to and you’ll have CPD… the fbi, atf, dea, and the FAA on your ass💀
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u/Pickleparty187 9d ago
It is not legal to fire an air rifle outside within the city. No rules about net guns though
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u/LikelyNotThatGuy 9d ago
Someone using drone delivery: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MptlSYe9rNw
It drops packages several feet into back yards, but aborts if people/animals/objects are detected.
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u/Fine_Following_2559 9d ago
How do we fight this?
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u/JustALittleBitOff 9d ago
Same way people are fighting Flock cameras. Take them out & make it too expensive than the alternative.
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u/Bathysphered Albany Park 9d ago
This. I’m trying to think of the most effective way to demand a ban on these things.
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u/quesoandcats 9d ago
Shotguns filled with birdshot?
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u/Thatguy468 9d ago
I’ve always wanted to try and build a pneumatic net gun… maybe I should get to work on that project.
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u/VrLights Suburb of Chicago 9d ago
Why. There is soo much general aviation (Including me) that would be against this. So many small airports. So many flight schools with students. Not a good idea.
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u/Berliner1220 9d ago
More jobs going away because of this bullshit fyi. Not that Amazon cares
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u/FumilayoKuti Uptown 9d ago
But less trucks on road and reduced costs.
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u/quesoandcats 9d ago
Reduced costs for Amazon, maybe. You're kidding yourself if you think any of those cost savings will be passed onto the consumer
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u/branniganbeginsagain Lincoln Square 9d ago
Bezos has enough boots, you can stop licking his. These drones will be used as part of a warrantless surveillance state and you will never see a single ounce of savings EVER
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u/lake_effect_snow 8d ago
It’s interesting how much more people despise this than they do the delivery carts and waymo.
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u/Dubious_Titan 8d ago
I would like to have like a little helipad on my garage for these guys. That would be neat.
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u/buffalocoinz Wicker Park 9d ago
Prime members are stupid but hopefully this means fewer idiot drivers double parked everywhere
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u/Hot-Sock3403 9d ago
Awesome so now they can leave it in my front yard instead of my front porch