news // 6

Quadcopters of the Amazon

» BC now experimental drone-zone for Amazon Prime Air

Adam Tatelman
Staff Writer

L?* July, Amazon vice
president of global public
policy Paul Misener petitioned
the Federal Aviation Authority
(FAA) of the US for an
“experimental airworthiness
certificate” for the purposes of
testing Amazon Prime Air’s new
automated delivery drones.

Eight months later, the
FAA reportedly did not reply, so
Misener petitioned Transport
Canada for approval. Having
approved over 1,600 such
requests by other companies
for drone testing, Transport
Canada allowed Amazon to
develop an outdoor research
and development testing facility
in BC at an undisclosed location
near the US border.

Amazon Prime Air is
currently testing for operation
between 200 and 500 feet,
which measures to being above
the average building, but below
general air traffic. This airspace
is generally under-used in most
aviation because of the flight-

: risk posed by full-size aircrafts,
: which are not taking off from or :
: landing on a clear runway. :

The drones are designed

: to travel at somph and carry

: packages of five pounds or less,
: which covers “86 [per cent]

: of products sold on Amazon,”

: according to Misener’s original
: petition. Prime Air promises

: to deliver products in 30

: minutes or less once thedrone :
: prototypes have been perfected. :

The FAA has a number

: of safety concerns relating to

: small, unmanned aerial system
: (SUAS) guidance systems and

: altitude. Given the automated

: nature ofthe drones, the FAA:
: deemed testing at the proposed :
: altitude too hazardous without
: human supervision. The FAA

: has approved only 48 such test
: requests in the last year, in stark :
: contrast to Transport Canada’s
: 1,600.

Outside the United

: States, there are a number of

: pioneering companies making

: similar endeavours. As early as

: three years ago, a Mexico-based
: company calling itself Burrito

 

Bomber began advertising
: on the Internet, offering
: quick delivery of burritos by

GPS-guided sUAS. There is a

: 700 nautical mile airspace in

: Alberta dedicated to drone

: testing beyond human line of
: sight, and the UK has converted :
: a WWII-era Welsh airfield for
: foreign testing of Prime Air

: drones.

Spokespeople of the

: FAA claim that their inertia
: is justified due to America’s
: complex airspace. Misener,

: although similarly safety-

: minded, stated ina public

: release, “The US does havea

complex airspace, but it’s no

: more complex than in Europe,
: where regulators do allow
: testing, and it’s certainly not

theotherpress.ca

Photo via amazon

: complex beneath 500 [feet] or
: in rural areas of Washington

: state where we had planned to
: operate.”

Amazon is poised to

: spearhead a new trend in

: goods transportation that will
: likely expedite the already

: instantaneous process of

: e-commerce.

 

Kwikwetlem chief
re-elected despite
controversy

» Ron Giesbrecht was reportedly paid
nearly $1-million in 2014

 
  
 

4 », Angela Espinoza
¥ News Editor

Mi news
@theotherpress.ca
n April 2 the
Kwikwetlem First
Nation in Coquitlam re-
elected Ron Giesbrecht
as chief of the collective,
despite controversy over his
previous leadership.
Giesbrecht who held the
position of chief last year,
was reportedly paid nearly
$1-million over the course of

the year for his work with the
: of the council were re-

: elected, although concerns

: over Giesbrecht’s role

: remain. News 1130 reported

: that one group member, Ron
: Jackman, was “outraged”

: due to Giesbrecht’s previous
; payment and sought his

: Tesignation.

group.

The Province reported
that the increase in pay was
primarily from a “bonus” for
securing a “land deal,” but
was otherwise the highest
paid member of their
council.

Giesbrecht’s only

  

: competitor was a member by
: the name of George Chaffee,
: who Tri-city News reported

: Giesbrecht beat by nearly

: double the voter ballots.

Several other members

 

Photo via citynews.ca

Freight cars derail in New Westminster

» Cars were revealed to be empty; no injuries reported

  

2 5 Angela Espinoza
Fo News Editor
‘ | ee Rinews
=> 4) @theotherpress.ca
QO: April 5, two freight

cars from a CN Rail train

derailed from their track in New :
: Hamer told the New West

: Record. “Operations in the

Westminster.

While there was initial

: cause for alarm, the cars were

: revealed to be empty. The

: derailment reportedly occurred
: near Columbia Street and

: Brunette Avenue.

“There were no injuries and

: no dangerous goods involved,”

CN Rail spokesperson Emily

: area were not interrupted and
: the cars were re-railed by early
: afternoon.”

The Record also reported

: that, according to New

: Westminster fire chief Tim

: Armstrong, track damage

: was not a factor in the

: derailment. Currently the cause
: of the derailment is under

: Investigation.