Gatwick Airport (UK) suspends flights due to Drone activity

[iKenndac]

But some of the comments coming from the public frankly amaze me. One female stated tha the airport had "breached her human rights", presumably by not allowing her to fly.

As you point out both before and after this sentence, these are people that are in a stressful situation and if they think rationally, they should be thanking the officials.

I think you're underestimating just how horrible it would be to be in that situation, and personally I'd forgive some hyperbole — some of these travellers were stuck in an airport for over 24 hours with poor communication from airport staff, no information on when their flights would go (if at all), being fed snacks instead of meals, with thousands of other people stuck in there with them. Many of the travellers were families with children trying to get away for Christmas.

I'm so ill equipped to deal with that situation that I'd probably have just given up after a few hours and gone home!

 

[ataraxia]

More seriously though, what seems missing from these reports and interviews is any indication of motivation. It was very clear from the first day that whoever was caught would go down for a very long time. I think there must be some connection here that is missing.

Their house is under the flight path for the runway, not that it's enough to charge them but it's a decent motive for a lot of people, there's a lot of discontent among residents in the area.

 

[sar104]

Their house is under the flight path for the runway, not that it's enough to charge them but it's a decent motive for a lot of people, there's a lot of discontent among residents in the area.

Weird - the airport opened for commercial operations in 1933. They don't look old enough to have bought their house before that.

 

[SpinItUp]

Weird - the airport opened for commercial operations in 1933. They don't look old enough to have bought their house before that.

That house looks a newish build

and I think the reference is to the increase in air traffic over there

Edit; read the Traffic stats on Wiki about the increases Gatwick_Airport

 

[raymo]

This drone or drones that are still causing severe deliberate disruption to Gatwick Airport flights are most likely to have been scratch built and that’s why its proving difficult to locate and track, this is defiantly not your normal average drones or pilot that does not know the law regarding drone flying near airports, this is a deliberate act of disruption to the airport and the sooner the police catch the person or persons responsible the airport can reopen, this must have cost hundreds of thousands in lost revenue apart from the inconvenience to passengers, and potentially putting lives at risk, this act of deliberate disruption will not do our hobby any favours worldwide.

If the reports are true, this is the new terrorism. Call it what it is!!!! Financial disruption. Charge these people to the full extent of the law. This is no "accident".

 

[Tazbone]

Hats off to the guy...Night time flying, bringing one of the busiest airports to a standstill,upsetting the public and the establishment takes skill [emoji19]

 

[zocalo]

I really hope it will be very 'lite'.
(The full one is currently looking like around a grand and several days commitment)

It would need to be, unless the intent is to kill off the budget drone market. No way is someone going to pay more than the price of their £50 drone that's really just a toy to be able to fly - so I was thinking more of an "admin fee" kind of thing, similar to way the driving license is handled.

Getting a bit off topic here, but I'm also hoping they'll make it easier for smaller drone pilots to do casual commercial work on the back of the new regs. Sure, if you're running large hex/octa-copters or similar for a full-time commercial op, then a few days and £1000 of fees and expenses should be part of the business model, but for more casual fliers with smaller drones it's a killer. That you can be in breach of the regulations just by posting footage taken with a Spark/Air sized drone to a monetized YouTube/Instagram feed needs a better solution, IMHO.

 

[InvisibleName]

I seriously don’t know what people use for brains!! You think that some laws are stick now, but wait! As of this action now Canada and other countries will tighten their belt on this. All you Canadians out there, here is yesterday’s clip from the National Post.....Canada to impose stricter rules for drone operation next year

Thank you for whomever did that ridiculous stunt! It’s brainless people like you who ruin it for the rest!!

You make out like the idiots are on this forum?! I bloody hope not!

 

[ataraxia]

Weird - the airport opened for commercial operations in 1933. They don't look old enough to have bought their house before that.

Controversial opinion but I'll give it anyway, certain people in the UK move to an area with something pre-existing like this and then moan and complain to try and change it. Gatwick is a prime example, everyone knows it's under a flight path, yet some people have decided to move in and then complain about how busy/noisy it is. I expect I'll get it in the neck for this, but meh.

 

[FoxhallGH]

I've spent a couple of hours putting together and editing an e-mail to my local MP this afternoon. With the old adage "Don't bring me a problem, bring me a solution!" bouncing around in my head, I've asked him to think seriously about putting the weight of the UK Government behind the efforts of the International Standards Organisation to ratify a set of standards that include 'manufacturing' for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). If we can get an International standard agreed and backed by major Governments (as this isn't a local issue), then all drones will include Geo-Fencing, and all Drones will be detectable by a common version of DJI's AeroScope (except those that are built and modified to not be, which you can't legislate against anyway!!).

Those standards are proposed to be only 'voluntary' at this stage, but are due for release early 2019.

I've also reminded him that the manufacturers of the vehicles used by terrorists to drive into pedestrians are not held accountable, nor are the vehicles banned from areas of London.

I'm also starting to hit my Facebook and LinkedIn social media with the 'how I feel about this!' kind of stuff - as the last thing I want is anybody who knows me to think I'm colluding with or somehow supporting another drone user - by not saying anything.

 

[FoxhallGH]

Controversial opinion but I'll give it anyway, certain people in the UK move to an area with something pre-existing like this and then moan and complain to try and change it. Gatwick is a prime example, everyone knows it's under a flight path, yet some people have decided to move in and then complain about how busy/noisy it is. I expect I'll get it in the neck for this, but meh.

I won't contest that, but I think it's fair to say that in the last 5 to 10 years the air traffic has ramped-up into London airports by quite an amount. In addition, there did used to be curfews stopping flights landing between certain hours of the night, and the next morning. It's pretty much 24x7 now and wall to wall heavy lifters. I'm not surprised that it would drive people a bit crazy! (but no excuse is good enough for this ...).

 

[ataraxia]

I won't contest that, but I think it's fair to say that in the last 5 to 10 years the air traffic has ramped-up into London airports by quite an amount. In addition, there did used to be curfews stopping flights landing between certain hours of the night, and the next morning. It's pretty much 24x7 now and wall to wall heavy lifters. I'm not surprised that it would drive people a bit crazy! (but no excuse is good enough for this ...).

Agreed, I've heard that it's getting worse around there, all the more motive for residents to get annoyed enough to take extreme action such as this.

 

[Jolly Dodger]

Has anyone seen the technology now employed to shoot drones down ?
It pretty impressive and it looks like a gun from Star Wars. No sound it just transmits high frequency radio waves (Micro waves) at the drone and jams the commands.The drone just drops. The military owns it at the moment but that will change now I am sure.
I have also seen them testing a similar device for crowd control. Totally silent and very effective.

 

[FoxhallGH]

Has anyone seen the technology now employed to shoot drones down ?
It pretty impressive and it looks like a gun from Star Wars. No sound it just transmits high frequency radio waves (Micro waves) at the drone and jams the commands.The drone just drops. The military owns it at the moment but that will change now I am sure.
I have also seen them testing a similar device for crowd control. Totally silent and very effective.

Do you mean DroneShield? Have a look on page 16 of this post ...

 

[raymo]

I can't understand why the authorities haven't yet sent up their own drone to follow these as they return home to recharge

I have said for a long time that it would be in the interest of the authorities to actually hire UAV pilots, amateurs included, to assist in many fields of operation as well as getting some decent advice. But you know, the "authorities" know best. We all know that a drone racer who can thread the needle using FPV could take one of these things down in seconds, not hours. Unfortunately, most of the people who work in these bureaucratic nightmares are 20 years behind the times. So while Nancy Reagan made the statement, "Just say no!" and that didn't work almost 40 years ago, politicians and bureaucrats continue to use the mantra, "Just say no!" and somehow, the "drone problem will go away." Most of these people are crazily out of touch with what it really takes. In the meantime, those of us who are responsible pilots will suffer because this situation will no doubt precipitate legislation that is imposed on everyone. What was done was already illegal. More legislation will not change what happened. If current laws are unenforceable, then what makes legislators think that more restrictive laws will stop this type of behaviour. It's a fools paradise!

 

[raymo]

There is video footage from what was seen last night in this article:

Flights CANCELLED: Moment ILLEGAL drone spotted causing Gatwick Christmas chaos – VIDEO

Guardian live reporting say that sharpshooters have arrived and military are involved:

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Not a good time to be a newbie droner...

They might be better with a bunch of duck hunters.

 

[sar104]

Controversial opinion but I'll give it anyway, certain people in the UK move to an area with something pre-existing like this and then moan and complain to try and change it. Gatwick is a prime example, everyone knows it's under a flight path, yet some people have decided to move in and then complain about how busy/noisy it is. I expect I'll get it in the neck for this, but meh.

That was actually my point. I saw it happen where I grew up - under the extended center line of LHR 10L, as it was known back then.

 

[sar104]

I won't contest that, but I think it's fair to say that in the last 5 to 10 years the air traffic has ramped-up into London airports by quite an amount. In addition, there did used to be curfews stopping flights landing between certain hours of the night, and the next morning. It's pretty much 24x7 now and wall to wall heavy lifters. I'm not surprised that it would drive people a bit crazy! (but no excuse is good enough for this ...).

Don't know about LGW, but that's not true of LHR even now.

 

[Jolly Dodger]

Do you mean DroneShield? Have a look on page 16 of this post ...

Yes that’s it . Too hard on a mobile to go through all the posts .

 

[gnirtS]

There are news reports that Gatwick did make contact with DroneShield

And even if it did want them it would need to be CE approved, tested, type approved for use, training performed and various other things. You cant just go run out, buy something and use it untested in a public environment. Certification would take months.