The race to who will be the first company to fully launch a commercial drone delivery system is heating up.  Amazon, Google, and Walmart are all striving to get their drones up in the air to bring their goods to customers.  In the United States logistical restrictions have continued to block this progress.  Meanwhile in Australia, Google has been testing out their drone delivery system for the last year.  A program that was started with the hope of making lives easier has turned into a nightmare for some of the residents of the country’s capital.

The world’s 5th largest technology company, and a subsidiary of Google, Alphabet began testing their drone delivery system in Canberra, Australia in January of 2019.  The program is called Project Wing and is headquartered in Bonython, a suburb of Canberra.  Local businesses were encouraged to sign up for the program and soon everything from coffee to burritos and prescription medications were being delivered by drones directly to customers.  The initial trail was a huge success in the eyes of James Ryan Burges, the CEO of Alphabet.  Now Project wing has grown to include deliveries from more than 10 business in Canberra, with plans to officially expand to Finland and then the US shortly.

While the idea of drone deliveries may sound wonderful to many people, and it has proven to work smoothly and safely, there is a large group who wish Project Wing would just fly away.  Some residents of Bonython have banded together to create the group Bonython Against Drones (BAD) as a way of voicing their dislike and concerns with Project Wing.  BAD’s primary concern is the loud noise that the drones make as they fly over their homes.  Their once peaceful town has been overrun with drone noise pollution.  And their noise pollution complaints are not unfounded.  A recent study by NASA found that the high pitched whine made by a drone is far more offensive to the human ear than most urban sounds.

BAD claims that their quality of life has greatly diminished since the arrival of Project Wing.  Trying to enjoy a lovely day outside has become difficult for many when they can’t escape the sound of the drones.  Their homes weren’t built to block out the sounds of a drone, so the sound even invades their private spaces.  Dogs become frightened by the drones leading owners to have to constantly calm down barking and stressed out pets.  Bonython was also once known as a favorite place for bird watching.  However, because of the drones many of the birds that once called the quite town home have fled the area.

Adding to their growing frustration is the fact that they feel their concerns are simply not being addressed by any officials from Project Wing.  However, Project Wing insists that they have heard the complaints and are making adjustments.  They are working on designing quieter drones, changed flight path plans, and forced the drones to fly at slower speeds.  They were quick to point out that since the beginning of the program 93% of polled people have been greatly enjoying the service.  They said that Project Wing is “bringing items quickly to people when they need them the most.  It has made their lives easier and given them greater choice: choice not to load sick children into the car to pick up something from the chemist, choice to have bread delivered at a moment’s notice for school lunches, and choice to have a weekly treat – coffee, scones, burritos – without ducking out to the shops.”

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