A novel and useful system and method of air delivery of payloads incorporating a zero or near zero velocity deployment maneuver that enables aircraft to smoothly deploy payloads without dropping them and without requiring the aircraft to land. A multicopter fitted with the mechanism lowers the payload to smoothly touchdown in a matter of seconds without the need to hover above the destination. In operation, the payload hangs from a tether, pendulum, or robotic arm and is extended prior to arrival to the target destination. The hanging payload begins swinging in a controlled and coordinated manner with the trajectory of the autonomous air vehicle such that the payload arrives at the delivery point at zero or near zero velocity relative to it, while the vehicle maintains its forward movement. The payload is released from the tether at the exact moment the payload touches or is about to touch the ground.