Trinity — One of the milder side effects of the pandemic and lockdowns we’ve experienced recently is that many people have found that 1) life is better without traffic and 2) they can deliver just about anything.
To bring these principles into the post-pandemic world, the Walmart Superstore on Route 54 in Trinity recently partnered with DroneUp delivery service to deliver eggs from cartons of eggs if you live within a mile of the store and weather permits. I made everything available. New shoes literally fall from the sky into your yard within 30 minutes of the impulse to buy. All for just $3.99.
A tented staging area in a Walmart parking lot (legally an airport) is one of three “hubs” in the area (the others are in the New Tampa and Brandon areas). Helicopter propeller on stilts. Within 15 minutes of a customer placing an order, DroneUp purchases the item at her Wal-Mart, the flight he plans, and the package is usually already on track. The drone flies to your property, lowers the load onto the rope, gently places it on the ground, and releases it.
DroneUp’s vice president of hub operations, John Ford, cites the convenience of drones delivering everything from prescription meds when you’re stuck at home to a six-pack of sodas you forgot to buy at the grocery store. increase. I do not want to return.
Currently, parcels must weigh 10 pounds or less, but “80% of parcels delivered by Amazon weigh less than 10 pounds,” Ford said. “You can buy almost anything you can buy on Amazon at Walmart. Drones make less noise than delivery trucks and are better for the environment.
“Imagine being able to push 600 cars off the road,” he said, moving toward a packed SR 54.
More than 100 flights have so far launched from Walmart parking lots. In this parking lot, DroneUp staff install and dismantle equipment in a temporary tent structure each day. The end result will be a three-story permanent building.
The highly trained staff, all FAA licensed pilots, many of whom are former military personnel, are responsible for everything from developing flight plans to monitoring local air traffic ( For example, keep in constant contact with Trinity Hospital to make sure they don’t block incoming helicopters). Drones are equipped with cameras so they can monitor traffic, wildlife, wind, etc. during flight, and the pilot can manually take over if necessary.
Customers must live within 1 mile of your store to order drone delivery. The drone operates from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm in clear weather. To order, please visit www.droneupdelivery.com.
