Gatwick Airport (UK) suspends flights due to Drone activity

[smashing]

Looks like a Matrice 600 to me

 

[Rockowe]

According to BBC the drone was still in the air at 0900 GMT and the police are saying it is a "deliberate act" (intended to close the airport and cause maximum disruption, I presume they mean) but "not terrorism related".

So ...
In an AIRPORT - with a TOWER - with officials trained to look at the sky - ...and apparently 50 Sightings - ...
YET NOT ONE PHOTO - or PROOF of DRONE?

Somethings Fishy here !
I think someone at the airport thought they saw something that looked like a drone - reported it - … then some Stand-In official decided to shut down operations -

Then realizing the Havoc he/she caused - decided to Keep up the RUSE - … because - with over 10,000 stranded passengers looking skyward including the Tower - No-one has shown a Picture.

SOmeone came up with an MP4 of an out of focus Light - which could be a Helicopter-
Someone even SHowed a Mavic with a runway in the background - ...
But the original people said it was Huge like an INSPIRE or a HOLIWOOD type drone...

WHERE IS THE DRONE ? -
Im sure a lot of embarrassed Airport officials ...

 

[Rockowe]

Looks like a Matrice 600 to me

LOOKS like SUPERMAN to me !!!!

 

[ataraxia]

LOOKS like SUPERMAN to me !!!!

Well, we don't think it's a bird, and we know it's not a plane...

 

[Tazbone]

I'm still laughing my bollocks off due to the fact a small unarmed aircraft has brought Europes busiest airport to a standstill.
Our national security is absolutely ****.

 

[InvisibleName]

So ...
In an AIRPORT - with a TOWER - with officials trained to look at the sky - ...and apparently 50 Sightings - ...
YET NOT ONE PHOTO - or PROOF of DRONE?

Somethings Fishy here !
I think someone at the airport thought they saw something that looked like a drone - reported it - … then some Stand-In official decided to shut down operations -

Then realizing the Havoc he/she caused - decided to Keep up the RUSE - … because - with over 10,000 stranded passengers looking skyward including the Tower - No-one has shown a Picture.

SOmeone came up with an MP4 of an out of focus Light - which could be a Helicopter-
Someone even SHowed a Mavic with a runway in the background - ...
But the original people said it was Huge like an INSPIRE or a HOLIWOOD type drone...

WHERE IS THE DRONE ? -
Im sure a lot of embarrassed Airport officials ...

and the worlds flat & NASA didn't land on the moon!!

 

[ataraxia]

and the worlds flat & NASA didn't land on the moon!!

Moon? You mean secret CIA space station disguised with craters?

 

[AnotherMavicPilot]

Looks like a Matrice 600 to me

And you gained that info from 4 Pixels?

 

[bronze661]

The offenders will likely want to see their footage and share it at some point. They will be caught,I think.

 

[Congoblue]

I'm still laughing my bollocks off due to the fact a small unarmed aircraft has brought Europes busiest airport to a standstill.
Our national security is absolutely ****.

I think that would be Heathrow.

But still. All this and the authorities have no idea who was responsible. The BBC report says they have put a "range of measures" in place to ensure that Gatwick is safe for aircraft, but I bet there are a lot of people with their fingers crossed that the drone does not reappear this morning.

 

[LaaLaa]

i do wonder how many actual facts will be shared with the public as it seems like a well planned and executed attempt to disrupt Gatwick together with associated media coverage.
Either way this will be bad for law abiding drone pilots.

 

[Avtur79]

My money is on some environmentalist(s) staging a protest. It will all come out on some website or channel soon probably.

 

[gnirtS]

I'm still laughing my bollocks off due to the fact a small unarmed aircraft has brought Europes busiest airport to a standstill.
Our national security is absolutely ****.

Don't forget it also gets brought to a stop with a few centimetres of snow, forecast days ahead and even when it gets too "hot" (a temperature classed as normal in the rest of the world).
I suspect if this was another world major airport the entire outcome of this possible drone swarm would be a note on the ATIS with "be advised of possible UAV activity in the area" and things would continue as normal.

 

[adam3112]

Is anyone else feeling a bit on edge about taking their drones out from now on?

I for one will be quite wary and self conscious about it next time I go out to fly and fear I'll be hounded by the public every time.

 

[ataraxia]

Is anyone else feeling a bit on edge about taking their drones out from now on?

I for one will be quite wary and self conscious about it next time I go out to fly and fear I'll be hounded by the public every time.

A little bit, but I'm already very careful as to where I fly, tend to bring it down the moment someone approaches, and I have a load of paperwork in my bag regarding the law, a copy of the drone code, and my insurance details.

 

[Congoblue]

Is anyone else feeling a bit on edge about taking their drones out from now on?
I for one will be quite wary and self conscious about it next time I go out to fly and fear I'll be hounded by the public every time.

Yep me too. I already feel like that and try to find places with no people to fly in, but more so now.

 

[LaaLaa]

My money is on some environmentalist(s) staging a protest. It will all come out on some website or channel soon probably.

I understand there is a lot of local unrest over flight path changes that have been through the legal system and Gatwick have been unwilling to follow recommendations....
Be interesting to se where this ends up

 

[ataraxia]

I understand there is a lot of local unrest over flight path changes that have been through the legal system and Gatwick have been unwilling to follow recommendations....
Be interesting to se where this ends up

If it is environmentalists would they not also target Heathrow? This seems to be targetted at Gatwick with somebody who clearly knows the airport layout and processes well enough to evade the airport and police for over 30 hours. It seems a massive coincidence that several times they went to reopen the runway the drone appeared again.

 

[sad_vampire]

Today it's a bit too windy for flying drones near Gatwick, so if there are more reported sightings then be very sceptical.

Perhaps the drone(s) will be back tomorrow afternoon or Sunday early hours when flying conditions are better.

 

[zocalo]

I understand there is a lot of local unrest over flight path changes that have been through the legal system and Gatwick have been unwilling to follow recommendations....
Be interesting to se where this ends up

That's probably the most plausible reason for a motive I've seen to date, other than simple Lulz. Wasn't aware of Gatwick's flightpath issues, and some adhoc local action by a hacked off resident or two might explain the lack of media announcement that usually accompanies environmental protests by established bodies like Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, etc. Could also explain why they've gone for Gatwick rather than the busier Heathrow, which strongly implies some kind of local grievance to me.

LHR better have a counter-drone plan lined up PDQ though, because I suspect the effectiveness of this has given some of the third runway opponents ideas. Rather stupid ideas, but ideas none the less.