Amazon’s Delivery Drones Are Grounded. The Birds and Dogs of This Texas Town Are Grateful

Over the summer, Amazon reduced the number of drone flights. In November, it fully adopted newer, quieter drones in College Station that deliver within a range of about 7.5 miles. Inside his house, with the double-paned windows shut and TV on, Smith could no longer hear the drones. More recently, wet winter weather has further restricted the frequency of flights. (Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson says the drones can withstand only light rain and limited temperatures.) But things finally went back to fully normal for Smith and other residents of the woodsy communities near Amazon’s drone base in January, when the company temporarily grounded its drones nationwide for a software update process that is ongoing. Amazon plans to end its College Station lease on September 30, potentially giving the frustrated communities permanent quiet. If Amazon had conducted the maximum number of flights outlined in its plans reviewed by the FAA, a drone might have buzzed by Smith’s house about every ... Read full article.