Amazon Delivery Drones At Risk of Being Shot Down in California Ranch Town

Residents of a quiet ranch town called Lockeford in California discovered that their town had been selected as an Amazon Delivery Drone testing site for the long-awaited Amazon Delivery Drone service. The eCommerce giant approached San Joaquin County approximately 6 months ago regarding testing, however, it is alleged that residents were not informed.

“They’re invading our privacy…I’m not an Amazon guy…I think they’re going to wreck everything for us.”

Tim Blighton, Cement Contractor, San Joaquin County Resident

Tim also mentioned how he once threatened to shoot down a neighbor’s drone that flew over his house, and that he doesn’t have warm feelings towards Amazon’s drone plans either. Others in the area worry drones could spook the livestock in the area among other environmental impacts to the area.

Amazon Delivery Drones Not Deterred & Continue Testing

The drone delivery program in the Lockeford area is still getting the required building and business permits required and will undergo an environmental review by the Federal Aviation Administration.

If successful in acquiring the permits and passing the reviews, the company’s 6.5-foot wide, 4-foot tall drones would deliver packages under 5 pounds to people living within 4 miles of the planned Lockeford drone facility.

“Lockeford residents will play an important role in defining the future,”

“Their feedback about Prime Air, with drones delivering packages in their backyards, will help us create a service that will safely scale to meet the needs of customers everywhere.”

Amazon Statement

The residents of Lockeford aren’t fully representative of national feelings however as residents in Texas have been much more vocally supportive of drone deliveries and seem to be excited about what the technology development could mean for the convenience of their lives.

The city of College Station, home to Texas A&M University, will vote on allowing drone delivery from Amazon in July.

“Once this gets going we’re going to be one of two and a handful … that are going to develop this drone technology for the rest of the United States for Amazon,”

John Sharp, Chancellor, Texas A&M University.

Time will tell as to how the California drone testing will be received and if indeed Tim and like-minded residents will be taking aim at Amazon delivery drones…who knows, we may even see one for sale on eBay one day.

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