Groceries arriving at our doors by way of air travel may quickly become part of our reality. This Thursday, Alphabet's Wing launched a drone delivery service in Frisco and Little Elm. Through the Wing mobile app, shoppers can select from a variety of small items and have them delivered to their homes within minutes.
Wing first launched in Australia in 2019. Its arrival in Frisco and Little Elm marks the company's first venture into a major metropolitan area in the United States.
But not everyone in Frisco and Little Elm will be able to make orders right away. For the first few weeks, residents will be invited in groups to try the service.
As of now, Wing has partnered with Walgreens, Texas Health, easyvet, and Blue Bell Creameries to make deliveries. The small packages will be delivered by a hybrid multi-rotor/fixed-wing drone. The drones are autonomous but monitored by pilots, who can take control should something go wrong. Each drone contains redundant motors, batteries and navigation systems, as to avoid system failures and emergencies.
The drones can each carry up to three pounds worth of packages, allowing shoppers to order small items from Walgreens, pet medicine from easyvet, pints of ice cream from Blue Bell, and medical kits from Texas Health. Wing is also partnering with Hillwood to make deliveries in Frisco Station.
Drone Delivery is welcomed by the City of Frisco
According to a post on the City of Frisco Facebook, "Mayor Jeff Cheney and Mayor Curtis Cornelious received the first deliveries of the newly launched service this morning in Simpson Plaza [in Frisco]. Wing is starting small and growing the delivery area over time."
Get your Drone Delivery this weekend!
For every two pints of Blue Bell Ice Cream purchased via Wing this weekend, Blue Bell will donate $7 to Frisco Fastpacs to provide meals to underprivileged children.
Those wanting to be part of Wing's testing group can sign up here.
Due to high demand, Wing is unable to serve every home, or every neighborhood within range of our aircraft at this time. Wing says, "We’re starting small, with plans to grow." To figure out if you can get your fix of Blue Bell Ice Cream delivered this weekend, follow the steps below.
Are you eligible for Drone Delivery in Frisco?
Drone deliveries from Walgreens are currently available to homes within Eldorado Estates I in Little Elm. Meanwhile Bluebell Creameries is delivering ice cream to select homes within about 4 miles of the Wing facility at Frisco Station. During the initial phase of this program, service is available Friday and Saturday afternoons only, and eligibility is limited to the following neighborhoods: Starwood, Estates on Legacy Drive, The Lakes, Heritage Lakes, Villas at the Lake on Legacy Drive, Stonebriar North, Stonebriar Village and Stonebriar Creek Estates.
To order now, follow the steps below.
- Click here
- Scroll down to view the map of areas currently being served by Wing's Drone Delivery Service. Also see the map below.
- If you do live in one of the areas served, click here to download the Wing app.
If you don't live outside of the current drone delivery service area, click here and scroll right to the bottom of the page. Fill out the form and you will be notified of when drone deliveries become available for you.
