Delivery drones create a new air traffic role
Trevor Wischnewsky became a remote pilot in command at FlyTrex after learning that drones were delivering pizza and sushi near his Texas neighborhood. The role resembles air traffic control, but it focuses on hexacopter drones carrying cargo to homes and businesses within a three-mile radius.
FlyTrex requires FAA drone pilot certification and a weeks-long FAA-approved training course so operators can take control if needed. Wischnewsky, who was training as a commercial pilot and flight instructor when he applied, monitors deliveries from an operations center using GPS, lasers, and other sensor inputs rather than directly flying the drones.
The Dallas-Fort Worth area is serving as a testing ground for unmanned aircraft systems traffic management, which lets autonomous drones from FlyTrex, Zipline, Amazon, and Alphabet’s Wing share coordinates in real time to reduce collision risk beyond a pilot’s line of sight. Wischnewsky checks that each drone is ready, the route is clear, and weather conditions are safe before automation manages the trip.
Pressure can build quickly when weather shifts. Wischnewsky may oversee up to 10 drones at once, acting as a safety net when automation needs human intervention, including one case when sudden wind forced him to return a drone carrying an ice cream cake safely.