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If you’re an Amazon addict then you’ve had a steady stream of boxes show up on your doorstep in recent weeks as we count the days to Christmas and Hanukkah. With that in mind, you should know that Amazon carried out the first successful test of its Prime Air drone delivery system in England last week.

The maiden delivery was the first step in a larger beta trial and is documented in this video, recently posted by Amazon. The test was conducted out of a Prime Air Fulfillment Center located in a rural part of Cambridge about 50 miles north of London. Unlike a typical Amazon fulfillment warehouse, the high-tech facility is outfitted with “innovative” drone technology.

The process is fascinating. “Moments after receiving the order, an electrically powered Amazon drone makes its way down an automated track and then rises into the sky with the customer’s package on board,” the video’s narrator explains. “These drones are autonomous. From take-off to landing and return, they operate completely on their own, cruising quietly below 400 feet carrying packages up to 5 pounds and guided by GPS. Within 30 minutes of placing the order the customer receives their package.”

Amazon says it will use data gathered during the beta test and feedback from customers to expand the trial to more customers over time. “We’re starting with two customers now and in the coming months we’ll offer participation to dozens of customers living within several miles of our U.K. facility and then growing to hundreds more.”

The U.K. facility is one of several test locations located around the world. Others are in the U.S., Austria, and Israel, according to Amazon.

In a statement posted online, Amazon writes: “We're excited about Prime Air—a delivery system from Amazon designed to safely get packages to customers in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial vehicles, also called drones. Prime Air has great potential to enhance the services we already provide to millions of customers by providing rapid parcel delivery that will also increase the overall safety and efficiency of the transportation system.”

All of this begs the question of when you will be you be able to select Prime Air as a delivery option. In an online FAQ, Amazon wrote: “We will deploy when and where we have the regulatory support needed to safely realize our vision. We’re excited about this technology and one day using it to deliver packages to customers around the world in 30 minutes or less.”

The Prime Air test stands as a proof of concept but we have to remember that it was conducted in a rural area. Whether drones can be safely operated in suburban and urban environments remains to be seen. It will be interesting to watch…and we may have to duck occasionally.

Depending on where you live, some of your Amazon packages just might arrive via (true) “air mail” in time for next year’s holiday.

For more information on the trial, including that list of frequently-asked questions, visit amazon.com.