[gatehouse]

My guess is that they are using human operators, and they probably have a retrieval squad on standby in case they lose contact. The regulatory issues I couldn't begin to guess.

The goal at this stage would be to validate the business model and to collect flight data and get a sense of the operational requirements. If it works and they want to develop an autopilot, they will then have all the flight data, landing zone choices and issues, and trained operators to consult.

[6stringmerc]

Nicely put; especially with respect to the business model. It almost seems that being competitive with traditional methods (bicycle, scooter, truck) almost will require more investment than can be expected as a return on capital. If human capital is very cheap in the markets for delivery (assumption) then establishing a break-even / profit point is genuinely of concern.

Also, I can't help but recall seeing pictures of some cities with smog so bad I wonder if drone pilots would even be able to see at certain altitudes. Limited scenario, I know, but seems to correspond with population density. Dense population seems kind of the ideal market, so, yeah, just a thought.