Yet another bad news story for our hobby

[787steve]

I agree, a drone would not present a noticeable cross section return. I don't believe they would shutdown an airport for a drone, they don't shutdown for birds. I wonder if the birds show up on radar. Pure propoganda.

They do shutdown airports for drones. (And actually, they shutdown runways for birds in extreme cases.) The big difference is birds are not malicious. They do not know whether a drone in the traffic pattern is flown by an idiot, or someone with more evil intentions.

 

[ac0j]

They do shutdown airports for drones. (And actually, they shutdown runways for birds in extreme cases.) The big difference is birds are not malicious. They do not know whether a drone in the traffic pattern is flown by an idiot, or someone with more evil intentions.

So the birds and the bird brained drone pilots should get the same respect Right?

 

[787steve]

So the birds and the bird brained drone pilots should get the same respect Right?

They do seem to share certain intellectual traits.

 

[ascension]

Unless you consider the hundreds of missions you flew at low altitude and high speed. Right?

Never hit one, During my tenure, nobody in my squadron or carrier airwing hit one. Nobody in the shore wing hit one. Nobody hit one during any flight I flew as an adversary.
Either they weren't there, which is a near impossibility, or they were good at avoiding.

They are very good at avoiding airliners.

A drone is an entirely different matter.

 

[shire]

Never hit one, During my tenure, nobody in my squadron or carrier airwing hit one. Nobody in the shore wing hit one. Nobody hit one during any flight I flew as an adversary.
Either they weren't there, which is a near impossibility, or they were good at avoiding.

They are very good at avoiding airliners.

A drone is an entirely different matter.

Washington Post
Drones keep entering no-fly zones over Washington, raising security concerns

 

[787steve]

Never hit one, During my tenure, nobody in my squadron or carrier airwing hit one. Nobody in the shore wing hit one. Nobody hit one during any flight I flew as an adversary.
Either they weren't there, which is a near impossibility, or they were good at avoiding.

They are very good at avoiding airliners.

A drone is an entirely different matter.

In Kingsville, during 1973, we lost a TA-4J on a low level to a turkey buzzard. The B1rd came through the quarter panel, passed the stud, and hit the instructor in the head. Thank goodness, he had his visor down. Still, he was knocked semi-conscious. He had no idea what had happened. He didn't even know if the student was alive. Low, fast, and unable to process, he executed a command ejection. The Skyhawk entered the King Ranch collection of used airplanes. (They have to hold the record for number of airplane crashes on private property.) He was wearing the old helmet with the plastic visor cover, but the damage to his helmet was quite similar to the damage shown in my avatar. I chose the avatar to show people here what can happen. The turkey buzzard was 3-4 lb of feathers, soft tissue, and mostly hollow bones. Later, I had a turkey buzzard strike in the same general area. Mine came through the nose cone, and partially through the instrument panel. Maybe south Texas buzzards are just not that bright. Happily, these are rare events, but they can have catastrophic results. Like you, I don't think some of the posters here have any idea as to the damage a drone could do.
After someone asked me about the paint job on my avatar helmet, I realized that it is hard to see in miniature, so I will post a link to it and another I just saw to illustrate what they can do.
This is called "bird strike"
Flightgear On-Line, the website for the collector of military flightgear

 

[BossOlive]

In the UK it is a MOR (mandatory occurrence report) for certain types of incidents/accidents.
Bird strikes are indeed tracked (if a report is filed) such that London Heathrow will bag, tag and identify the bird(s) in question. Of course there are also "bird scaring" activity at the ground level.
To date, I cant think of a documented accident due to a bird strike but having had many strikes in my career I have seen first hand the damage birds can do to a aircraft.

Are you a professional pilot?

What is the time frame for MOR?

 

[747P4]

What is the time frame for MOR?

72 hours.

Here is some light reading

Occurrence reporting in the UK and the rest of Europe is governed by European Regulation 376/2014.

Linky

EUR-Lex - 32014R0376 - EN - EUR-Lex


6. The following natural persons shall report the occurrences referred to in paragraph 1 through the system established in accordance with paragraph 2 by the organisation which employs, contracts or uses the services of the reporter or, failing that, through the system established in accordance with paragraph 3 by the Member State of establishment of their organisation, or by the State which issued, validated or converted the pilot's licence, or through the system established in accordance with paragraph 4 by the Agency:
(a)

the pilot in command, or, in cases where the pilot in command is unable to report the occurrence, any other crew member next in the chain of command of an aircraft registered in a Member State or an aircraft registered outside the Union but used by an operator for which a Member State ensures oversight of operations or an operator established in the Union;

(b)

a person engaged in designing, manufacturing, continuous airworthiness monitoring, maintaining or modifying an aircraft, or any equipment or part thereof, under the oversight of a Member State or of the Agency;

(c)

a person who signs an airworthiness review certificate, or a release to service in respect of an aircraft or any equipment or part thereof, under the oversight of a Member State or of the Agency;

(d)

a person who performs a function which requires him or her to be authorised by a Member State as a staff member of an air traffic service provider entrusted with responsibilities related to air navigation services or as a flight information service officer;

(e)

a person who performs a function connected with the safety management of an airport to which Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council (13) applies;

(f)

a person who performs a function connected with the installation, modification, maintenance, repair, overhaul, flight-checking or inspection of air navigation facilities for which a Member State ensures the oversight;

(g)

a person who performs a function connected with the ground handling of aircraft, including fuelling, loadsheet preparation, loading, de-icing and towing at an airport covered by Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008.

7. The persons listed in paragraph 6 shall report occurrences within 72 hours of becoming aware of the occurrence, unless exceptional circumstances prevent this.
8. Following notification of an occurrence, any organisation established in a Member State which is not covered by paragraph 9 shall report to the competent authority of that Member State, as referred to in Article 6(3), the details of occurrences collected in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article as soon as possible, and in any event no later than 72 hours after becoming aware of the occurrence.
9. Following notification of an occurrence, each organisation established in a Member State which is certified or approved by the Agency shall report to the Agency the details of occurrences collected in accordance with paragraph 2 as soon as possible, and in any event no later than 72 hours after becoming aware of the occurrence.