DoorDash launches drone deliveries in southeast Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC – Charlotte residents can expect to see more drones flying through the sky after DoorDash launched drone delivery Wednesday.

DoorDash partnered with Aviation Company Wing for the new service that is available to neighborhoods near the Arboretum shopping center now.

“it’s going to cruise at about 200 feet off the ground, at about 65 miles per hour,” Jacob Demmitt, marketing manager for Wing said. “The drones are flying themselves, and the pilots are watching kind of dots on a screen. It’s kind of like air traffic control so they’re just kind of monitoring the autonomous system to make sure it’s operating properly.”

To get a drone delivery you’ll need the DoorDash app. Eligible users will see the drone icon in the options for products. Drone deliveries must not exceed five pounds. WCCB tried out the service Wednesday and our delivery arrived within 10 minutes.

“In order to launch the service here in Charlotte we work with the FAA. We have all the necessary permissions to be able to operate the service, and we really are kind of leading the way on the regulatory front,” Demmitt said.

The drones have a home base referred to as “The Nest” in the Arboretum parking lot. Workers run orders from the restaurants to the nest where another worker loads the drones. The boxes for deliveries are made to keep food stable and stop spills. The drones plan their own route to fly rain or shine.

“If there’s a huge thunder, lightning storm, if it’s not safe to fly, we have pilots who are overseeing things, and they decide, we’re going to pause and stop taking missions,” Demmitt said.

Right now, the drone delivery service is only available in certain neighborhoods in southeast Charlotte. DoorDash and Wing plan to expand to other neighborhoods in Charlotte later this year. Drone deliveries are already happening in Dallas, TX and Christianburg, VA.

“I really look forward to kind of watching this market as we become more established,” Demmitt said. “It becomes like boring almost. You know, we want drone delivery to just be another another thing that’s just part of everyday life.”

Drones might be startling to some people so Demmitt says their company plans to do community outreach at festivals and public events to spread the word about the technology. Demmitt says the company communicates with local police and government so they are also in the loop about the drone deliveries.