Christiansburg, VA – Christiansburg will be the home to the first U.S. trial location for drone delivery.
Wing, a Google subsidiary, was the first the drone delivery system to receive the Air Carrier Certification from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). They have also partnered with the Commonwealth of Virginia to work on federal, state, and local policies surrounding unmanned systems. Additionally, they collaborated with the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) to conduct hundreds of drone deliveries to staff and students at Virginia Tech in 2016 and in 2017 as part of NASA and the FAA’s unmanned traffic management system testing.
“I believe unmanned technology has the potential to fundamentally transform our economy and our lives — and southwest Virginia is poised to be at the forefront.” – Senator Mark Warner
They have selected a location in Christiansburg off Welcome Street, near Lowe’s, however have not released what type of deliveries or what neighborhoods will receive the deliveries. Wing has stated that they plan to be launching by the end of the year, with hopes for the first launch coming this Fall.
The goal is to partner with local retailers to conduct deliveries through the use of an app where customers can place their order and then receive it at their doorstep in a small cardboard box. The company has said that the drone can fly up to 6 miles from the original location which means they could theoretically reach well beyond Interstate 81 to the south of its nest and north of the Drillfield on Tech’s campus.
Read more about all the cool partnerships Wing has in Australia and Finland, their existing locations, HERE.
Onward NRV: Onward NRV is a public/private, regional economic development organization whose mission is to attract and retain world class jobs, investment, and talent in Virginia’s New River Valley. It’s also a movement where leaders from business, government, and higher education work together to promote the economic vitality of the region.
