We're going down the path of becoming illegal

[gnirtS]

It really is about time some organization does some extensive (and expensive) crash testing of drones vs manned aircraft to get a grasp of the actual dangers.

There have been.

Is a phantom more deadly deadly than a flock of geese?

No but it can still cause damage. Witness the tens of thousands of dollars damage to the Blackhawk in NYC after it got hit by a phantom.

I’m not suggesting that drones belong anywhere near manned aircraft, especially helicopters, but does it make sense to shut down an entire airport for hours because of a drone sighting?

Hours no, 30 mins yes and 30 mins can knock on with delays for 12+ hours at big airports.
Drones are heavy enough and big enough to cause damage. If it hits a dome, a port tube or gets sucked into an engine that aircraft is grounded until it can be inspected. You now have hundreds of passengers not travelling, paying out compensation, other flights of that a/c on the day delayed or cancelled and inspections cost money.
ANY hard object impacting a plane means if noticed that plane is going to divert and will need to be inspected IN CASE of damage.
They do it for birds much smaller than a phantom.

Or to stop aerial firefighting operations for 1.5 hours even after they saw the guy drive away?.

Well helicopters are especially vulnerable and the gearbox damage to the blackhawk proved it isnt theoretical.
How did they know it WAS the guys drone they saw? Might have been 2 fliers. Or maybe he's relocating to another place to fly with another battery.

It's not worth the risk. People like this deserve serious jail time. EVERYONE knows the rules by now. It happens so often they cant pretend they dont.

 

[Simmo]

Our recent Senate hearing mooted this.... I've only posted the scary bit, but.... they were thinking about it....
8.3 Whilst it is apparent that the implementation of a blanket ban on the use of RPA would immediately 'eliminate the risks that are posed by untrained and unqualified drone operators',[3] the committee acknowledges that such an approach would not provide a constructive, practical solution to the issue.

 

[BigAl07]

No but it can still cause damage. Witness the tens of thousands of dollars damage to the Blackhawk in NYC after it got hit by a phantom.

I tried to find a current article that noted the price to repair. IIRC the cost was estimated $250,000 because it's a complete set of blades to be replaced. I couldn't find the article so I'm going off of memory.

Well helicopters are especially vulnerable and the gearbox damage to the blackhawk proved it isnt theoretical.

See picture below... an actual picture not "assumed/simulated".

That is the damage to the leading edge of one of the UH-60M main rotor blades. Considering it was "just" a Phantom4 it did inflict some significant damage to a major (non redundant) component on the Blackhawk.

Keep in mind this is an aircraft resigned to take on some very nasty scenarios around the world and it was still grounded with an expensive repair/replace procedure.

What do you nay-sayers think would happen to the impeller blades of a passenger aircraft jet engine? What if this part had made it's way into one of the engines (General Electric T700-GE-701D turboshaft engine) in the Blackhawk UH-60M? Luckily the debris guard (not the technical name BTW) kept it out thank goodness or we might know the answer to that question.

 

[dirkclod]

Thats something and thats what we have our service people using . Think what bullets can do to that .
That amazes me the most .

 

[lmel2005]

Imagine what would've happened to our civilization, if everyone had banned pioneer flying machines, because they where dangerous, and their pilots were "irresponsible ".

If we want to have seriously face drones as new technology to be regulated, we must talk about statistics. Only this way, we can find out the real dangers, and get them covered with new regulations.

Airport perimeters, and wildfire areas, are already regulated, and every violation is a police subject. There are a few drone users, who violate rules about airport airspace. Even if they haven't cause an accident yet, they are illegal and subject of investigation.
At the same time, they are a small minority, maybe smaller than the rate of drunk pilots.

 

[johnnybflyguy]

I am not a pilot, but I remember hearing that 2 aircraft passing within one mile of one another is called a "near miss"

I was on a plane coming back from Kefalonia to th UK as we just passed over the River Thames a plane flew underneath us going in the opposite direction. (the same airline company) must have been about 1000 feet below us.

 

[gnirtS]

Can be 500ft for VFR aircraft and down to 1000ft for RVSM operations for aircraft at different altitudes.

Airways are split even/odd altitudes. Eastbound tracks will be odd number flight levels (ie 250,270,290) and westbound even levels (260,280,300) so 1000ft separation between opposite direction traffic.

 

[Cybernaut]

Something being illegal never stopped anybody.

Yeah, but it's supposed to make anyone with basic common sense think about it before they decide to do it.

 

[Classic flyer]

Here down under we are not allowed to fly anywhere near fires and firefighters, big no no

Here as well... some people are just hopelessly ignorant and simple minded...be safe fly safe

 

[Classic flyer]

Sadly though, mainly because of all the media bullcrap, there are far more political brownie points to be had from drone regulation than, for example, banning lawnmowers....

......which apparently KILL around 75 people a year in the US alone.

Nice analogy sir!

 

[Inspirephil]

Not supposed to do it in the states either, but we have a few lunatics here that dont think the rules apply to them.

That’s the problem, the lunatics that are out there causing trouble for all of us who fly responsibly.

 

[baddog]

Drone nearly crashes into helicopter fighting fire | East Idaho News

Okay I am gonna say it and get slammed for it. But hobbyists, kids, teenagers and foolish adults need to be licensed and tested (Road tests included ) to operate drones. If they get caught breaking the law/rules they get ticketed and have their day in court.

I can be a hobbyist car racer, hunter, scuba diver, boater, etc... all of these require a license or certification in the US and they have laws and rules that help protect from unsafe use.

Okay start the firing line. I will stand still so you don't miss

 

[Classic flyer]

Okay I am gonna say it and get slammed for it. But hobbyists, kids, teenagers and foolish adults need to be licensed and tested (Road tests included ) to operate drones. If they get caught breaking the law/rules they get ticketed and have their day in court.

I can be a hobbyist car racer, hunter, scuba diver, boater, etc... all of these require a license or certification in the US and they have laws and rules that help protect from unsafe use.

Okay start the firing line. I will stand still so you don't miss

I'm with you 100% sir... well said...be safe fly safe

 

[BigAl07]

Okay I am gonna say it and get slammed for it. But hobbyists, kids, teenagers and foolish adults need to be licensed and tested (Road tests included ) to operate drones. If they get caught breaking the law/rules they get ticketed and have their day in court.

I can be a hobbyist car racer, hunter, scuba diver, boater, etc... all of these require a license or certification in the US and they have laws and rules that help protect from unsafe use.

Okay start the firing line. I will stand still so you don't miss

I could not agree more. It’s idiotic to not need some level of basic education, testing, and retesting periodically. At least one time...

 

[jctarvin]

Drone nearly crashes into helicopter fighting fire | East Idaho News

Do you just troll the media looking for negative drone incidents so you can post them here? Why don't you troll for something positive to report. Oh, wait! The media wouldn't be interested in reporting any positive event having to do with drones.

 

[Classic flyer]

Do you just troll the media looking for negative drone incidents so you can post them here? Why don't you troll for something positive to report. Oh, wait! The media wouldn't be interested in reporting any positive event having to do with drones.

If you'd watch the news you would have seen in recent weeks the very positive use of drones for search and rescue, law enforcement, entertainment, etc.... while it is rare there is more and more positive drone news daily...be safe fly safe

 

[roadkilt]

You can't fight stupidity. Thanks to the incredibly stupid and dangerous practice of flashing landing aircraft with handheld lasers the Canadian government is all but banning them. A few well circulated (even if bogus!) articles on these idiots being caught, fined up the ying yang and doing time as attempted murder would stop things better than heavy handed regulations.

 

[ac0j]

Okay I am gonna say it and get slammed for it. But hobbyists, kids, teenagers and foolish adults need to be licensed and tested (Road tests included ) to operate drones. If they get caught breaking the law/rules they get ticketed and have their day in court.

I can be a hobbyist car racer, hunter, scuba diver, boater, etc... all of these require a license or certification in the US and they have laws and rules that help protect from unsafe use.

Okay start the firing line. I will stand still so you don't miss

100 plus years ago;
That is what they thought about operating Motor vehicles,
"A drivers license requirement will keep idiots out from behind the wheel of those horseless carriages!"
" People with Those flying machines need to pass some sort of test before we let anyone fly them"
And more recently;
"we should make people get a special permit before they buy a handgun, THAT will keep people from shooting each other!"

Laws and rules are made to be broken. If not, why do they exist? Where there are laws, rules, and regulations, there will be criminals lined up to break them.

 

[sar104]

100 plus years ago;
That is what they thought about operating Motor vehicles,
"A drivers license requirement will keep idiots out from behind the wheel of those horseless carriages!"
" People with Those flying machines need to pass some sort of test before we let anyone fly them"
And more recently;
"we should make people get a special permit before they buy a handgun, THAT will keep people from shooting each other!"

Laws and rules are made to be broken. If not, why do they exist? Where there are laws, rules, and regulations, there will be criminals lined up to break them.

But where are you going with that line of thought? I don't see a conclusion.

 

[baddog]

They greatly reduce the occurrences though, that's just simple logic at work here...