I hate reports like this. But having spotted a drone from a commercial flight myself, I'm skeptical. The one I saw appeared to be a MQ1 Predator variant. We were cruising at 38k feet somewhere above Chicago. It passed us going the other way, maybe 200 feet above and less than 800 feet off the wing. Seemed like a really close call to me, but I'm no pilot. Maybe they do that all time. Still, that thing has a nearly 50' wing span and is almost 30' long. It looked tiny, and it would have been easy to miss it. I've been flying many times in a small plane with my brother who is a private pilot. It can be hard to spot other planes in the area even when ATC alerts you of their presence. I'm in the skeptical crowd on this one. Spotting a drone would be very difficult. Seeing something unidentified, maybe. A birthday balloon is far more probable than a drone. Still, this story sucks!
Newark airport shut down in US due to drone sightings
- Thread starter Lapeer20m
- Start date
. I hate it when I add that extra zero, when it isn't necessary.
Me also (jets) he saw a eye floater! Or a ufo!
Definitely cannot identify exactly what it is.
Unless you fly military fast jets for a living you arent going at anything like that speed at 3500ft....with a 250kt limit and possibly less as you;re setting up for an approach and in a traffic sequence.
When they said the drones were flying at 3500', I had to check the MSL of Teterboro. Only 9' above MSL.
I don't know what these guys were flying, and considering the northwesterleys we've been having here overt the past few days, I can't see anyone flying hobby drones in the northeast U.S. for the past few days
I don't know what these guys were flying, and considering the northwesterleys we've been having here overt the past few days, I can't see anyone flying hobby drones in the northeast U.S. for the past few days
I'll tell ya, considering the weather in the Northeast the last few days, no sane drone pilot who values his equipment would have been flying
Montana John
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Yeah, I'm calling ********. I was working outside at this time, not to get 100 miles to the east. We were dealing with northweasterley’s of over 40 knots. You’re not flying any kind of drone in those conditions, especially not at 3500’ MSL. I’m thinking a green pilot coming up with a lame excuse to not land at EWR in strong winds
And I’m talking northwesterly’s at ground level. The winds at altitude must have been intense. This is a rookie pilot pulling a bs excuse to not land because he was fraidy scared
If there was a drone, it was run by the government. No hobby pilot would be flying their drone in those conditions
Do we need a thread called, speculation? 
while I remain skeptical that a pilot could have seen a small object, it’s not impossible, especially if said small object passed VERY close to the plane. As a private pilot I’ve seen all sorts of stuff up in the air. Balloons are frighteningly common, as are birds. Two addition speculations while we are at it.
1. Ultralight?
2. The type of person that would build or configure a drone capable of flight to such a height is EXACTLY the type of person who would do it.
while I remain skeptical that a pilot could have seen a small object, it’s not impossible, especially if said small object passed VERY close to the plane. As a private pilot I’ve seen all sorts of stuff up in the air. Balloons are frighteningly common, as are birds. Two addition speculations while we are at it. 1. Ultralight?
2. The type of person that would build or configure a drone capable of flight to such a height is EXACTLY the type of person who would do it.
Time for some reasonable thoughts on this.
The winds reported on the EWR METARS during this time frame last evening were all under 10 knots.
Military drones do not fly in the national airspace around NY without FAA approval.
There is no way a military drone would be around Teterboro, in Class B, without the FAA knowing about it.
Reports of passengers "spotting" drones within a few hundred feet at 38000' "somewhere over Chicago" are also not possible.
The claim that a "green" pilot was too frightened to land at Newark and invented this is just plain crazy.
Again, the view from the cockpit is completely different from a passenger seat, and you see a lot of different things. You can easily spot other airplanes at 20 miles at night, and 10 during the day.
Drones/balloons etc., are not that hard to see if you are looking in the right direction and they are moving.
I have no idea what was in the Teterboro vicinity at 3500' last evening, but I do know that the uninformed speculation in this thread is not close to accurate.
The winds reported on the EWR METARS during this time frame last evening were all under 10 knots.
Military drones do not fly in the national airspace around NY without FAA approval.
There is no way a military drone would be around Teterboro, in Class B, without the FAA knowing about it.
Reports of passengers "spotting" drones within a few hundred feet at 38000' "somewhere over Chicago" are also not possible.
The claim that a "green" pilot was too frightened to land at Newark and invented this is just plain crazy.
Again, the view from the cockpit is completely different from a passenger seat, and you see a lot of different things. You can easily spot other airplanes at 20 miles at night, and 10 during the day.
Drones/balloons etc., are not that hard to see if you are looking in the right direction and they are moving.
I have no idea what was in the Teterboro vicinity at 3500' last evening, but I do know that the uninformed speculation in this thread is not close to accurate.
Of course, there are individuals that fly higher than 400 ft but while possible, it is unlikely that a drone was flying at 3500 ft. Also, from what I read it was spotted by pilots of manned aircraft, although their reports seemed a bit tentative about whether it was actually a drone. Finally, there are apparently no radar reports that a drone was flying at that elevation. Hopefully the FAA investigation will get it sorted out. If there was a drone at that elevation that was not military, then hopefully the FAA will locate the irresponsible fool and the suspect drone with flight data and go from there.
larryc43230
Well-Known Member
Not likely.
Very few things without transponders would, in the normal method of operation.
Having that level of "gain" would clutter the screen to an unworkable level.
larryc43230
Well-Known Member
considering that most drones are very small compared to manned aircraft and made mostly of plastic or composites any radar would have a very hard time, or be incapable all together of picking them up.
I get that you think it's not possible. But I did see a drone at 38k. Well, maybe it wasn't a drone. But it was a small fixed wing aircraft, with no windshield or windows, a sizable dome on the front, and an inverted "v" tail. Looked like a drone to me. If it wasn't, feel free to tell me what it might have been. Certainly wasn't a Cessna up there... It was over the west side of Chicago on a crystal clear daytime flight from Denver to Newark, ironically enough. I'm guessing from your response this isn't a common occurrence?
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