Remember the LeiferMichel Project?

That pilot project where German drone logistics company Wingcopter is working in collaboration with the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS) to deliver groceries around the Michelstadt area, Hesse in the Odenwald region in Germany; under the codename “LieferMichel” (DeliverMichel)?

The project has been running for a little over two months now and they have already bagged a locally popular client: professional football cub SV Darmstadt 1898 will be deploying unmanned aerial aircraft to deliver fan merchandise to customers buying from the club’s stores this Christmas period.

According to a statement from Wingcopter, residents of two Michelstadt districts can order a selection of Darmstadt 98 products such as jerseys, scarves, and Christmas accessories via the LieferMichel website, www.liefermichel.de.

The customers can then select a delivery window for their purchased product, during which their package will be flown by Wingcopter delivery drones to fixed landing points just outside of the villages.

From there, they are transported the last few meters to the customer’s front door by electric cargo bike.

“We are proud to have gained an exciting partner for the LieferMichel project in SV Darmstadt 98, who are working with us on innovative ways to reach people in rural region,” says Ansgar Kadura, co-founder and Chief Services Officer of Wingcopter.

“We look forward to soaring to new heights together in the coming weeks.”

The LieferMichel is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) as part of the “Innovative Air Mobility” funding directive. Since October residents of the two participating districts of Michelstadt can order everyday goods from the local REWE Center and have them delivered by Wingcopter.

Other partners in the project are Vodafone and cargo bike manufacturer Riese & Müller.

Currently playing in the Bundesliga after gaining promotion last season, Sportsverein SV Darmstadt 1898 e.V. are the most popular soccer club in southern Hesse and inspires fans and soccer enthusiasts throughout Germany. With around 15,000 members and around 350 employees, the club has developed into a medium-sized company.

“We have established in our mission statement that we want to combine tradition with innovation and modernity,” commented Martin Kowalewski, Managing Director of SV Darmstadt 1898.

“The cooperation with Wingcopter is a perfect example of this: We want to be pioneers of innovation and constantly develop new ways to bring our fans closer to the club – or vice versa in this case.”