London Gatwick Airport: Drones ground flights [BBC News]

[Brian Drysdale]

You have to take into account the likelihood of such an event and what other factors might contribute to their belief that aliens.were visiting earth.

The police have factored in that it could be a mass delusion by people believing that they saw something. At the moment, they seem to have an open mind, although a drone at some point seems to be regarded as a likely cause, although perhaps not all of the sightings.

[Brian Dollemore]

Headline this morning:

Heathrow: Man charged with flying drone near airport

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-46935933

[Gary Huff]

Just like the police took those two people in at Gatwick and then had to release them. If Mr. Rusu was flying a DJI drone without modification, then he was flying far enough away where the geofencing didn’t apply. There’s nothing to indicate how far this “near” field was.

[Gary Huff]

It wasn't even a drone, it was a Tundra RC model airplane, which doesn't have geofencing.

"George Rusu, 38, was branded "reckless" after admitting flying the £160 Tundra model aircraft 500 metres from the perimeter fence of Britain's busiest airport on Christmas Eve.

Police spotted the white and purple plane, which has a wingspan of around one metre, soaring close to the airport's Leonardo Hotel, a court heard."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-new...aused-13892314

[Brian Drysdale]

Many of the rules for model aircraft are the same as for "drones", since both are unmanned aircraft.

https://www.caa.co.uk/Consumers/Unma...odel-aircraft/

[Nigel Barker]

Originally Posted by Gary Huff

Here's a really good article about what I think is really going on here.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/histo...mes-180968011/

Just replace "drone" with "UFO". Thankfully, none of these reports (such as people reporting seeing a UFO over O'Hare in 2006) resulted in shutting down an airport, although UFO reports have shut down airports in China.

The Heathrow incident is now under investigation. I will predict that, like Gatwick, there will be nothing.

+1

Mass hysteria & media frenzy are the root cause of the incidents. Over the years UFO sightings that were actually weather balloons etc demonstrate how difficult it is for people to judge the size of objects in the sky with no point of reference. Balloons, plastic carrier bags, all manner of objects blowing around could have been seen & interpreted as drones not UFOs.

The only drone we can be sure was at Gatwick was the one flown by Sussex Police.

[Roger Gunkel]

Originally Posted by Nigel Barker

+1

Mass hysteria & media frenzy are the root cause of the incidents. Over the years UFO sightings that were actually weather balloons etc demonstrate how difficult it is for people to judge the size of objects in the sky with no point of reference. Balloons, plastic carrier bags, all manner of objects blowing around could have been seen & interpreted as drones not UFOs.

The only drone we can be sure was at Gatwick was the one flown by Sussex Police.

People are always going to report things that they don't understand using references to things that they are more familiar with, be it ancient times or modern. There are also those who will say that they don't believe it because they didn't see it themselves. As regards mass hysteria, that is usually wheeled out to explain why groups of people reported events that aren't believed by those that weren't there, along with weather balloons and the planet Venus. I have yet to see any scientific evidence to prove mass hysteria was the reason for UFO reports, even though I have had an interest in the subject since early teens. Most reports though not all, can be explained with commonsense and a little investigation. I also have a close friend who was a fighter pilot with the Canadian Airforce and also was one of the longest serving long haul pilots with Air Canada, who has had some very thought provoking experiences.

Over the years, I have seen many unusual things that people near me couldn't understand, although to me it was quite clear what they were, including twice seeing weather balloons at high altitude, aircraft landing lights that appeared to be stationary as they turned, police helicopter searchlights, and chinese lanterns to name a few. However, as a pilot and drone flyer, if I saw a drone flying near an airfield and reported it, I would be pretty miffed to be told that I had seen a plastic bag blown by the wind.

Roger

[Ronald Jackson]

Hovering Kestrels could be one false alarm.

Ron

[Donald McPherson]

Whether it was or not someone had to make a decision what to do. Very big responsibility if you get it wrong. What if.....?

[Gary Huff]

I guarantee you the security staff at Gatwick is, at this very moment, getting reports from random passengers who are claiming they see a drone.

[Gary Huff]

Somebody reported a drone in Dubai, they took action, couldn't verify it, reopened in 30 minutes.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/02/15/du...drone-spotted/

[Steve Game]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

People are always going to report things that they don't understand using references to things that they are more familiar with, be it ancient times or modern. There are also those who will say that they don't believe it because they didn't see it themselves. As regards mass hysteria, that is usually wheeled out to explain why groups of people reported events that aren't believed by those that weren't there, along with weather balloons and the planet Venus. I have yet to see any scientific evidence to prove mass hysteria was the reason for UFO reports, even though I have had an interest in the subject since early teens. Most reports though not all, can be explained with commonsense and a little investigation. I also have a close friend who was a fighter pilot with the Canadian Airforce and also was one of the longest serving long haul pilots with Air Canada, who has had some very thought provoking experiences.

Over the years, I have seen many unusual things that people near me couldn't understand, although to me it was quite clear what they were, including twice seeing weather balloons at high altitude, aircraft landing lights that appeared to be stationary as they turned, police helicopter searchlights, and chinese lanterns to name a few. However, as a pilot and drone flyer, if I saw a drone flying near an airfield and reported it, I would be pretty miffed to be told that I had seen a plastic bag blown by the wind.

Roger

Well Roger, it looks like the police will have better powers soon to ban the flying of drones without explicit permission within the ATZ (air traffic zone) of a licenced aerodrome. There will also be a similar ban on flying within 2.5NM of the runway(s) centre line(s) extended out 5km from each end. The police will also have stop (ordering a flier to land a drone immediately) and search powers for papers, and of premises and drone flight information. It may be a disappointment for the sensible ones (twas always the way) but there are other antisocial and criminal issues with drones that will at last be able to be controlled.

[Roger Gunkel]

The trouble is though Steve that no amount of bans and police powers will stop those that want to fly outside the law doing so. Rules and regs are one thing but enforcement is another, as witnessed by criminal and anti social behaviour across society as a whole.

The existing rules regarding drone flying are already quite restrictive, but as you say, it will mean a number of new restrictions on those happy to fly within the regulations, but probably little or no effect on those who have no regard for the law.

Roger

[Gary Huff]

None of these new rules will stop phantom drone sightings.

[Steve Game]

Originally Posted by Roger Gunkel

The trouble is though Steve that no amount of bans and police powers will stop those that want to fly outside the law doing so. Rules and regs are one thing but enforcement is another, as witnessed by criminal and anti social behaviour across society as a whole.

The existing rules regarding drone flying are already quite restrictive, but as you say, it will mean a number of new restrictions on those happy to fly within the regulations, but probably little or no effect on those who have no regard for the law.

Roger

Regrettably, it is unlikely to completely shut down irresponsible drone use but the upcoming mandatory registration will gradually reduce unregistered kit from the field as stop and search starts to bite.