What to know about Amazon drones coming soon to Chicago area

TINLEY PARK, Ill. (WLS) -- Amazon drone deliveries are already a reality in five states. When they finally take flight in Illinois, a Markham warehouse will be one of the first to launch the 83-pound aircraft.

Set up for all to see, an Amazon-designed drone was the center of attention inside Tinley Park's Convention Center Monday, as the company invited the public in to see exactly what may be coming to a neighborhood near them later this year.

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"It's the way of the future. I like it a lot," Tinley Park resident Tim Throw said.

"It will be fun to see the drones delivering. We get so many trucks in our neighborhood now making deliveries all the time," Tinley Park resident Terry Throw said

Amazon will be testing its drone delivery service in the Southland, with distribution centers in Matteson and Markham serving as the launch points. Each drone will carry one order only and have a delivery radius of 8 miles. The package cannot weigh more than 5 pounds.

Those wanting the ultra-fast service will have to select drone delivery at checkout, using satellite imagery to choose where exactly on their property they want the package dropped off.

"It better be exact because I have a lot of trees in my yard; so is it going to drop in a tree or hit something?" resident Marilyn Stewart said.

An Amazon representative explained exactly how the drones manage obstacles.

"Let's say you set up string lights for a party, and they were not there when we did the original satellite imagery of your house. When the drone gets there, it will identify those string lights and say, 'hey, I don't want to come down there into that,' and it will come back up, skip delivery. We'll come back and get your package via ground," said Josh Brundage, with Amazon Air.

Safety questions have been top of mind since the announcement was first made to residents. In recent months, there have been at least three crashes involving Amazon delivery drones, including in Arizona and Texas.

Markham Mayor Roger Agpawa said he feels comfortable with the plan Amazon has laid out for the community.

"How they would deliver that package and make sure it doesn't harm property, a person or even a pet, they've really vetted this well to make sure it's going to be safe," Agpawa said.

And what about those cameras? Privacy concerns have dogged Amazon Air since its inception.

"When the drone is in flight, there is nothing streaming back to us other than telemetry, altitude, air speed, where it is in the world that kind of thing. The video goes nowhere," Brundage said.

Amazon's stated goal is to launch drone service sometime this summer, but it could come even earlier than that.