Amazon's Markham, Illinois drone site generally hits its 300-order daily limit

Amazon's drone delivery site in Markham, Illinois, has generally reached its limit of 300 orders a day since flights began on 12 October, DroneXL reports. Sam Bailey, Amazon's economic development manager, said so at a ribbon-cutting at the warehouse on 10 November, adding that 21 MK30 drones fly from the site and 60% of its inventory can go by drone.

Bailey asked customers to keep children inside and to leave the yard clear while a drone delivers. He said the drone drops parcels from about 12 feet and calls off a delivery if it senses movement below, and that its cameras are used only for navigation.

The mayor of nearby Homewood, Rich Hofeld, said Amazon gave the village no warning before the service began, according to the Chicago Tribune's Daily Southtown. Homewood later told residents it could not ground the drones, as Illinois law makes drone regulation a state power.

Amazon's Matteson site is to open next, without a date. Bailey put the drones' peak noise at the point of delivery at 68 decibels, while Amazon's own test readings in an FAA document put an MK30 delivery at 82.4 dBA from 20 feet away.