Gatwick Airport (UK) suspends flights due to Drone activity

[gnirtS]

I'm surprised the was no technology around to stop this. This is one year old:

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Aeroscope was pictured in use on the roof of the airport police station.

 

[BaNZ]

If they catch these people. They need to be put away for a long time and spend their life repaying the damage they cost. The disruption they caused to potentially millions of people during one of the busiest time of the year is immense. People going home and away to see their loves one. Heck, maybe even one last time.

 

[Tazbone]

I'm surprised the was no technology around to stop this. This is one year old:

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Thats too complicated for the shower in charge of our country.
They're too busy crying about getting called "stupid woman"

 

[Mikeg]

A lot of people are saying that legislation has not caught up with technology. Yes it has, they are currently breaking the law, the issue is the enforcement of it. The laws cover it, but our current infrastructure doesn't. We need to be able to handle rogue drone pilots.

I think you and everyone are missing the point on legislation. Additional legislation will have very little effect on people who ignore the current laws. If these morons were
law abiding they would not be able to fly their drones into Gatwick airport. They are simple criminals (not drone enthusiasts). My nearest analogy is banning laptop computers because of hacking. This is a criminal act and legislators should not look too restricting law-abiding drone enthusiasts from pursuing their hobby Back to punishing the criminals concerned

 

[BaNZ]

I was wondering why they haven't brought the eagles out to catch the drones. Turns out that the Dutch have abandoned the project due to concerns of injury to the eagles. Which makes sense.

 

[Carl36]

Rather confusing, they shut Airport due to Drone/s spotted in area yet no Drone/s recovered and no one arrested yet they have opened Airport?

 

[ataraxia]

Rather confusing, they shut Airport due to Drone/s spotted in area yet no Drone/s recovered and no one arrested yet they have opened Airport?

The airport is currently up and running but police and army are still on the scene with Aeroscope and some other stuff waiting to see if the drone comes back. I'd imagine Aeroscope is there to stay now.

 

[gnirtS]

Rather confusing, they shut Airport due to Drone/s spotted in area yet no Drone/s recovered and no one arrested yet they have opened Airport?

Open due to "extra resources and equipment" from the military.
So i'd guess RF sniffers, maybe millimetric or battery radar and so on meaning if there IS a drone, it'll be detected and tracked.
Thats if there was a drone in the first place (and if there was, it made more than 1 flight).

 

[Jackcutrone]

I was wondering why they haven't brought the eagles out to catch the drones. Turns out that the Dutch have abandoned the project due to concerns of injury to the eagles. Which makes sense.

That was my thought the first time I saw a YouTube video of an eagle being used to catch a drone. An industrial drone with carbon fiber props turning at several thousand rpm is going to do a lot of damage. Am surprised that an eagle trainer would take any part in such a scheme.

 

[NetDep]

Open due to "extra resources and equipment" from the military.
So i'd guess RF sniffers, maybe millimetric or battery radar and so on meaning if there IS a drone, it'll be detected and tracked.
Thats if there was a drone in the first place (and if there was, it made more than 1 flight).

“That’s if there was a drone in the first place...”

My first thought. Speculation and pointless paranoia and drone hate feeding a public already brainwashed into thinking that toy drones are spying on wives/daughters, crippling airports and just generally wreaking havoc. I think this campaign of ignorance and hate has set the positive attributes of drones back years.

We will likely not know what really happened or who was involved but suffice it to say that this went on far longer than needed or it is certainly an indictment to an impotent police, military and airport authority. Shameful but hardly surprising. I think if it was actually as advertised that a couple of guys from this forum could’ve solved the problem in a couple of hours.

 

[vjslof]

That was my thought the first time I saw a YouTube video of an eagle being used to catch a drone. An industrial drone with carbon fiber props turning at several thousand rpm is going to do a lot of damage. Am surprised that an eagle trainer would take any part in such a scheme.

Here in the Netherlands they had a pilot catching drones with birds but they stopped it thank god. It's pure animal abuse. Fooling a bird of pray into catching something that is not it's lunch anyway.

 

[gnirtS]

We will likely not know what really happened or who was involved but suffice it to say that this went on far longer than needed or it is certainly an indictment to an impotent police, military and airport authority. Shameful but hardly surprising. I think if it was actually as advertised that a couple of guys from this forum could’ve solved the problem in a couple of hours.

The fact one of the busiest airports in europe seemed to not have even basic drone detection or tracking technology in place is ridiculous. Then again, its the same airport that refuses to buy snow ploughs because "it doesnt snow enough" despite them routinely losing a few days and millions of pounds a year when it does.
There companies simply wont spend a penny more than is needed for bare basic operation.

 

[zocalo]

Rather confusing, they shut Airport due to Drone/s spotted in area yet no Drone/s recovered and no one arrested yet they have opened Airport?

I think the weather forecast for Gatwick is rain today. If that's heavy enough to ground a drone but not an aircraft then they can safely resume flights, even if those responsible are still inclined to try and keep the disruption going. Plus all the other protections that are now in place, made public or otherwise, may be enough to make them believe they could halt air-ops quickly enough to avoid a major incident.

 

[BaNZ]

That was my thought the first time I saw a YouTube video of an eagle being used to catch a drone. An industrial drone with carbon fiber props turning at several thousand rpm is going to do a lot of damage. Am surprised that an eagle trainer would take any part in such a scheme.

I agree. I was hoping that the trained it so it doesn't come in contact with the drone. Possibly drop a net onto it but then again it would need to get close and will endanger the bird.

 

[ataraxia]

I agree. I was hoping that the trained it so it doesn't come in contact with the drone. Possibly drop a net onto it but then again it would need to get close and will endanger the bird.

There are drones that can do this too - First example I could find

 

[Vimana]

BBC news online just posted another video I hadn't seen before on this thread:
Gatwick runway reopens after drone chaos

It seems to behave even more like a UFO in sci-fi movies! Or it's a bit of crisp packet in the wind!

 

[Kilrah]

The airport is currently up and running but police and army are still on the scene with Aeroscope and some other stuff waiting to see if the drone comes back. I'd imagine Aeroscope is there to stay now.

That would be even more "fun" since DJI's DroneID is no way near secure. If it's not what has already happened now, people with the intention of screwing things up would not need to even fly a drone and take or cause any risk to anyone, just broadcasting fake DroneID packets reporting a drone right in the middle of the approach when there is none would be enough to cause a panic...

 

[ataraxia]

I see we now have a nickname - the "Gatwick Grinch" Army brings in ‘drone killer’ used to fight ISIS as cops identify ‘persons of interest’ in Gatwick Grinch hunt

It took a while!

 

[The Fat Controller]

If they catch these people. They need to be put away for a long time and spend their life repaying the damage they cost. The disruption they caused to potentially millions of people during one of the busiest time of the year is immense. People going home and away to see their loves one. Heck, maybe even one last time.

During 'The Troubles' here in Northern Ireland there was always an upsurge in bomb hoaxes in the weeks leading up to Christmas causing gridlock on the roads and delays at airports. I'm stating the bleeding obvious here, but it's a no-brainer for anyone wanting to cause maximum chaos to choose this time of year.

 

[SpinItUp]

boycott the sun
P(ersons)OI is that a new mode only for the military drones

Edit;
Why didn't they (them in charge) turn up with their own drones or head to Argos and purchase a few so as to fight like with like in the first place?