Wing makes first commercial drone delivery in Christiansburg; service underway
Susie Sensmeier received the first commercial drone delivery in the U.S. and said it wouldn’t be her last, either.
Sensmeier, 81, and her husband Paul watched a FedEx package deliver a winter vest to their home at The Villas in Peppers Ferry as part of Wing Aviation’s grand opening Friday afternoon.
The drone hovered 23 feet above the ground and dispensed the package from a tether onto the ground. The autonomous aircraft travels to its destination at 65 mph and is quieter than a box fan. Company officials have touted a 10 minute or less delivery time.
Sensmeier said they were approached to be the first customers after visiting a recent demonstration hosted by the Google sister company. Sensmeier said the service is helpful to senior citizens like her and her husband.
“He [Paul] broke his leg this summer and I wish they would’ve had it then,” she said.
Sensmeier said she will use the service for items from Walgreens the most, because “when you’re 80, that’s where you end up most of the time.” She said she’d like to see the service expand to include restaurants and one of her and her husband’s favorite stores, Barnes & Noble.
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