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Criminal Drone Operators caught - Updated - NOT GUILTY!

It's hard to underestimate the harm the Gatwick Drone criminals have caused to the hobby. Not to mention intentionally disrupting hundreds of flights over a 36 hour period and shutting down a busy airport. Wow. I seriously hope they toss this pair into a wood chipper made of thousands of carbon fiber drone blades. If this doesn't get drones totally banned I don't know what will.

2 arrested in Gatwick Airport drone disruptions | CBC News
They've been released without charge.....

Now there's a surprise then.....!
 
he easiest way to reduce the problem is to deploy Geo-fencing. I thought DJI did this already in there firmware/software, but obviously not in the UK.
Yes DJI do have geofencing in the UK. And the problem with DJI geofencing is that there is complete overkill. You'll be finding NFZ's where no NFZ's exist. It's a real pain....
 

WT? - This article's Content has Nothing to do with the Title of … CATCHING the CULPRITS at Gatwick !
Yet... its MADE to look like that ! (In the Link)

In the Article they said ...
"Police have arrested a man and a woman after rogue drone operators crippled London's Gatwick Airport for three days by repeatedly flying onto the airfield, sparking a major security response.

In a statement, Sussex Police said the arrests were made late on Friday. No group has claimed responsibility for the disruption, which affected at least 120,000 people on Wednesday and Thursday.

"Our investigations are still on-going, and our activities at the airport continue to build resilience to detect and mitigate further incursions from drones," the statement read."
====================================================
So a man and a Woman have been arrested - Dig Deal? … but nothing to do with Gatwick ! (and for what were they arrested?)

WHATS GOING ON HERE - Almost like they are looking for ScapeGoats - … and to Mislead people into thinking Hobbiest drone operators are Rogues !!!!!

Then they go again with :... Couple arrested for ruining Xmas
… Big NEWS - but then released for No evidence....


WHO's KIDDING WHO here?

I still maintain that it was some GUY (who worked at the airport) who Casually Mentioned "he might have seen a drone" - and Airport Management too HASTILLY SHUT DOWN Operations - without any proof.
Now they Covering up for it - Trying to SAVE FACE … (out of shoddy mismanagement)
with NO real suspects - … and Just Stories pointing at Drone Hobbiests.


TALK ABOUT "their EMBARRASMENT" ! :rolleyes:o_O
 
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From Long Island,New York 10 miles from Mac Arthur Airport fools like this pair set the Drone hobby back to the Ice Age,Good Luck to us all & please fly safe!!
 
I hope all the members on this site who played judge, jury and executioner towards this couple, will place a apology towards them. How would you have felt if it was your family.
My family members ain't stupid enough to pull a stunt like that!!They get what they deserve,judgement day!!
 
Neither were theirs, they were wrongfully arrested, hopefully they will get the apology they deserve.
And (rightly) compensation too, after all the lurid headlines calling them morons etc.
How did that happen anyway, details should not have been publicised as it could prejudice any investigation.

DvGQHnxX0AIfU1f[1].jpg
 
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It's hard to underestimate the harm the Gatwick ...

2 arrested in Gatwick Airport drone disruptions | CBC News


Even this THREAD TITLE is Misleading ...
"Criminal Drone Operators Get Caught" (and referring but having nothing to do with the Gatwick ShutDown)
… - which ones and where ?? Up to now, NO drone operators (mentioned above) Are Criminals - … and the two arrested, have been let go ...


"The couple arrested over the drone disruption that brought Christmas getaway flights to a standstill at London’s Gatwick Airport have been released without charge on Sunday, police said. "
>> refer: UK Couple arrested ...


Plz, please don't start "Fake News threads" - it freaks legitimate Drone operators out !
 
And (rightly) compensation too, after all the lurid headlines calling them morons etc.
How did that happen anyway, details should not have been publicised as it could prejudice any investigation.

EXACTLY MY POINT !!!

f.jpgNO ! see previous msg... (They were released)
Talk about "FAKE NEWS"
 
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At least with operator licensing / registration you do start to make an environment where people are a bit more serious about their Drones and know that they aren't just toys. Advertising by DJI and other drone manufacturers just makes it look like you take it out of the box and off you go - you're an instant Drone flying top-gun! From all the noobie questions on this Forum, we know that's not the case. But in addition to technical and practical flying knowledge, there has to be a culture of 'responsibility' that's set up - and the only way to do that is to test for competency and then license. Same as done for somebody who wants to drive a car ...
I must admit you just described me to the point I fell for the advertisement easy as 1, 2, 3 and you are up and flying. I was going for different perspective as a photographer. I came within 10 feet of hitting a good friend with a Mavic Pro Platinum going full throttle out of control nose dive. That opened my eyes to just how dangerous this hobby can get in a split second. On top of all that I was flying in a direct path of a tiny airport runway. I had no cell service so I could not check B4UFly. I was down in a fairly deep ravine with way too many trees to be attempting that kind of flying. Bottom Line big wake up call.
 
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What's done is done folks! No amount of chewing this over in the likes of this forum is going to help us and our hobby in the future ... The question that we should all be asking ourselves here is "What can I do to show that there are responsible drone owners and operators out there?" ... I've written to my MP to tell him that I'm appalled at what's happened at Gatwick, and from what I've seen on this forum, everyone else is too. I've pointed out that 1 Km or 5 Km NFZ's around an airport make no difference when somebody wants to break the Law and actually buzz a control tower, and that instead of penalising a vast majority of responsible users, the Government would be better off looking at putting their weight behind the ISO who are setting standards for the manufacture and use of Drones. I'm also going to be putting out some statements on social media, because the last thing I want is for those that know I fly drones, to think that I'm not saying anything about this because I'm sympathetic!
 
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Not just the law but the public will have a bad impression on drones now... whatever the outcome. Especially those caught in the mess.
Still no evidence of the drone causing the shut down, no pictures or videos, I can't believe anything the news is saying..
 
Still no evidence of the drone causing the shut down, no pictures or videos, I can't believe anything the news is saying..
However this all plays out, I think the one and only solution to events like this happening is the use of technology around major airports that can down a drone/RC aircraft. More regulation for the law abiding will do absolutely nothing. Whether all this has been staged to make the implementation of counter drone technology actually happen and contracts awarded to interested parties, is open to debate. I don't have a problem with counter drone/RC technology being deployed at airports. What concerns me about counter drone technology is, who will be authorised to use it and how easy will it be for any Tom, ****, or Harry to get their hands on it and abuse it?

I'll use drinking and driving as an example of how more regulation/tighter rules don't work. There is a legal limit for the amount of alcohol you can have in your bloodstream whilst driving. Get caught even slightly above that limit and the penalties can be truly life changing in the UK (and they should be) including jail time. Yet time and time again the authorities natural reaction to try and stop people drinking and driving is to lower the legal limit. While that may have an effect on some accident statistics, it isn't going to stop the people that habitually drive while absolutely steaming drunk, it just doesn't! Any legal limit means nothing to them......
 
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More laws are only going to make criminals out of good people. When the law says I can't fly my drone out in the country, photographing the Fall foliage or the lakes or a mountain stream, thats when I become a criminal. The rules we have now should be enough if people follow them. We need much tougher penalties and much better ways to catch the bad guys.
 
Lock them up, then maybe others will not fly where you're not supposed to fly. The rest of us fly safely, (most of us), quadcopters can definitely be dangerous, for the most part they are small plastic toys. The FAA involvement still puzzles me, they are not aircraft and they are not manned. I am certain that this latest "drone scare" will lead to more laws and restrictions. There are so many more dangerous things in our society that most lawmakers don't care about, 30,000 gun deaths in the USA every year, not even on the radar.
By the way, did anyone actually see a drone, take a picture of, or get a radar return at Gatwick? Maybe it was just a sea bird?
 
Harsh penalties are the best deterrent, and to have a (volunteer) drone force to follow the law-breaking drone to its source so an arrest can be made. More regulations would not prevent what has happened.
 
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