Gatwick Airport (UK) suspends flights due to Drone activity

[BlueBay]

The technology exists to protect airfields.

The government and airports need to invest urgently. It only takes one protected incident to pay for the whole system, not to mention human life (priceless).

 

[dirktwa]

This whole story doesn't add up. I think extraterrestrial space ships are being mistaken for drones here. They tend to be more capable of hovering for 18 hours straight.

 

[Tazbone]

Easy to say, nearly impossible to impose!

And your reason is?

 

[zocalo]

And your reason is?

Imposition is easy as you "only" need to pass legislation for that, *enforcement*, especially for those that do not want to comply... not so much. Mandatory registration at time of purchase - or before you can activate a drone for flight - is certainly doable, if inconvenient for resellers, but that leaves a number of loopholes people could potentially slip through, e.g.:

Hand-built aircraft
Drones purchased prior to the registration requirement
Drones purchased overseas and other "grey" imports
Submission of false details
Secondhand aircraft, depending on how onerous the paperwork is

I don't think anyone with a clue expects legislation and technical measures to completely solve the problem, even if coupled with some stiff penalties for idiots like those at Gatwick today to set an example. However, if they can deter the majority of potential offenders and make it even a little bit easier to identify and prosecute the rest, then that's going to be good enough for government work.

 

[FoxhallGH]

The sort-of-positive thing here is that the event is now being talked about in terms where it's recognised that the Drones are being used for a malicious attack (a 'Denial of Service' attack), on Gatwick Airport. Therefore it's being talked about from the same point of view that stops us getting up in arms and talking about banning cars because terrorists steal them and drive them into people. This may not affect the Drone community directly, but putting (& maintaining) anti-drone systems around UK airports, is either going to hit the taxpayer, or the air traveller (or both!).

 

[ataraxia]

From the BBC website:

Pippa Malmgren, co-founder of drone manufacturing company H Robotics, says the drone causing disruption at Gatwick is likely to be a "toy" rather than a machine for commercial use.

Unlike drones for commercial use, smaller toy drones aren't tracked on GPS and don't have height or distance limiters, she told BBC Radio 4's World at One.

“What you’re relying on is good behaviour and knowledge of the law," she said.

- How do you define a "smaller toy drone"?
- Bigger drones can have their height and distance limiters disabled also
- If it's a toy drone with no GPS then the pilot needs to keep it in sight or have a **** good camera, which toy drones don't
- A toy drone's battery lasts for 10 minutes tops, they would be constantly going back and forth to either change battery or recharge

The police have already said that they believe they are dealing with several commercial drones due to their size, so this is nothing more than attention seeking from a company trying to sell drones. Going by her apparent knowledge of them, no thanks.

 

[Jackcutrone]

This sounds like a pretty sophisticated operation. Multiple drones. Perhaps multiple operators or preprogrammed waypoint flights. Think it’s likely that he/she/they came prepared with many precharged batteries. Lights on large drones - trying to be obvious.

Proof of concept for later extortion attempts? Not familiar with Gatwick. What if ultimate target is Heathrow or Atlanta Hartsfield or Chicago O’Hare? Multiply the number of flights and people disrupted at larger airports. Or perhaps terrorism related. If you can’t protect against a patently obvious drone intrusion how are you going to protect planes and people from bomb laden stealth drones. Not saying that either of those is the reality but the situation is scary far beyond the negative effect it will have on hobby and commercial drone fliers.

Agree that likely to be home built. I don’t know how the drone defense systems that electronically bring down drones work but imagine that someone with some sophistication could figure out how to defeat them.

 

[FoxhallGH]

There's a technology called 'SkyFence' that's being trialled to bring-down drones being used to get stuff into HM Prisons ...
Anti-drone technology could be introduced in English prisons

I'm sure that they will be considering this tech' for Airports as well now ...

As soon as I heard that medical supplies were being delivered by Drone in Africa, and Amazon were looking to deliver by drone - I thought that it had to be that we were counting the days 'till drones were weaponized.

 

[FoxhallGH]

This whole story doesn't add up. I think extraterrestrial space ships are being mistaken for drones here. They tend to be more capable of hovering for 18 hours straight.

It adds up when you have a team of flyers, or a couple of drones and a hard working set of battery chargers.

 

[Slim.slamma]

This sounds like a pretty sophisticated operation. Multiple drones. Perhaps multiple operators or preprogrammed waypoint flights. Think it’s likely that he/she/they came prepared with many precharged batteries. Lights on large drones - trying to be obvious.

Proof of concept for later extortion attempts? Not familiar with Gatwick. What if ultimate target is Heathrow or Atlanta Hartsfield or Chicago O’Hare? Multiply the number of flights and people disrupted at larger airports.

Sounds like a group of citizens got pissed with service in and around the airport.
Definitely some intent to shut service Down

 

[Asgard]

...........and still no pictures?, very odd

 

[Tazbone]

Imposition is easy as you "only" need to pass legislation for that, *enforcement*, especially for those that do not want to comply... not so much. Mandatory registration at time of purchase - or before you can activate a drone for flight - is certainly doable, if inconvenient for resellers, but that leaves a number of loopholes people could potentially slip through, e.g.:

Hand-built aircraft
Drones purchased prior to the registration requirement
Drones purchased overseas and other "grey" imports
Submission of false details
Secondhand aircraft, depending on how onerous the paperwork is

I don't think anyone with a clue expects legislation and technical measures to completely solve the problem, even if coupled with some stiff penalties for idiots like those at Gatwick today to set an example. However, if they can deter the majority of potential offenders and make it even a little bit easier to identify and prosecute the rest, then that's going to be good enough for government work.

Of course there'll be the tools who want to break any laws set in place.

As I say tho... The simple registration process I've mentioned will protect folk like myself who are new to the "Game of Drones" and may deter the element who want to break said law.

It's simple and easy and personally it will at least deter many of ownership if personal details are required.
If one breaks any of the flaws you mention then prosecution comes into play.
Same scenario with driving laws we have here.

I did post Indias law on drones.
An app can be downloaded and it advises one they are in an area of safe law abiding flying... If not in an area of law abiding flying and one tries to fly,then the app shuts down the drone.
For me....this is a great idea for being a newbie I would feel alot more at ease knowing I'm in an area of safe and law abiding flying,instead of thinking am I ok to fly or am I looking at a fine or custodial punishment for my flight.

But as I say and agree with yourself there will be the element who will break/bend or abuse such laws.

As we see at Gatwick today.

 

[FoxhallGH]

With so many people pissed off about this, I can't see how anybody is going to be able to send drones in an out of Gatwick airspace without somebody noticing where they are coming from. It can't be too long before Mr. Plod does his 'Hello, Hello' routine!

 

[Jackcutrone]

There are a number of technologies available or under development 7 amazing anti-drone technologies designed to swat UAVs out of the sky | Digital Trends

 

[Jackcutrone]

...........and still no pictures?, very odd

You obviously did not read the whole thread. Picture and a video.

 

[FoxhallGH]

...........and still no pictures?, very odd

Yes there have been pictures ...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1075556804954939392

... Twitter post from passenger last night, shows a hovering light-source with what seems to be a directional light as it changes as it points in different directions. No roaring around the sky like drone-racing, but just hanging there in a well lit way to be a bloody nuisance!

 

[choo choo]

Yes there have been pictures ...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1075556804954939392

... Twitter post from passenger last night, shows a hovering light-source with what seems to be a directional light as it changes as it points in different directions. No roaring around the sky like drone-racing, but just hanging there in a well lit way to be a bloody nuisance!

Sorry but there are literally thousands of camera phones and surveillance cameras around the area, and NOT ONE credible photo or video has emerged. NOT ONE. The only one purported to be of a drone is of a helicopter, and even the guy who took the video wasn’t sure and thinks it was a helicopter. But he will have his 15 mins of fame

 

[Asgard]

I'm trying to be serious...no substantiated pictures, a vague light in the sky taken on a phone camera proves bugger all
where are all the long lens zoomed in shots?, Gatwick allways has a good few professional photographers and spotters hanging about

 

[ataraxia]

Have we found our culprit? Drones over Gatwick found to be new Ryanair super economy flights

 

[Jackcutrone]

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