Gatwick flights suspended after reports of drones over runway

[AeroJ]

Someone found a positive in all this chaos !

The closure of Gatwick Airport was an “early christmas present” for those that suffer aircraft noise, according to a campaign group against aviation noise in the area.

Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE) says residents woke to silence from the airport on 20th December, “offering a glimpse of the tranquillity that they used to enjoy before Gatwick introduced concentrated flight paths (2013-14) and increased the number of aircraft movements”.

It added:

For tens of thousands of residents of Sussex, Surrey and Kent they enjoyed some respite from the aircraft motorways above their homes that usual, in part, blight their lives day and night, and due to an out of date law, are powerless to take legal action to stop the flights from impacting their wellbeing and house value.​

Although CAGNE, an umbrella community group, does not condone the irresponsible behaviour of flying drones near an airport potentially endangering lives, it was an early Christmas present for those that suffer aircraft noise.​

The group adds that residents feel powerless to stop plans to increase the number of planes above rural homes of Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

(from today's Guardian Live Blog)

 

[Mrgs1]

A few reasons why cops haven't immediately shot down London Gatwick airport drone menace

Yes it's not that easy, perhaps the future solution will be to make Airplanes stronger in their venerable areas to be better equipped to deal with bird strikes too, I'm sure technology will deal with it eventually.

 

[Mrgs1]

Someone found a positive in all this chaos !

The closure of Gatwick Airport was an “early christmas present” for those that suffer aircraft noise, according to a campaign group against aviation noise in the area.

Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE) says residents woke to silence from the airport on 20th December, “offering a glimpse of the tranquillity that they used to enjoy before Gatwick introduced concentrated flight paths (2013-14) and increased the number of aircraft movements”.

It added:

For tens of thousands of residents of Sussex, Surrey and Kent they enjoyed some respite from the aircraft motorways above their homes that usual, in part, blight their lives day and night, and due to an out of date law, are powerless to take legal action to stop the flights from impacting their wellbeing and house value.​

Although CAGNE, an umbrella community group, does not condone the irresponsible behaviour of flying drones near an airport potentially endangering lives, it was an early Christmas present for those that suffer aircraft noise.​

The group adds that residents feel powerless to stop plans to increase the number of planes above rural homes of Sussex, Surrey and Kent.

(from today's Guardian Live Blog)

I bet it seemed like a day in the Victorian times, thought they died on gone to heaven. The ash cloud a few years ago caused the same flight disruption, it was so lovely and quiet.

 

[snappy]

It seems that there were over 50 sightings of the drone(s). And I believe the airport is closed again. As to how to tackle this issue, maybe the UK should follow the Dutch and used trained birds of prey to catch the drones - a small environmental benefit at least.

 

[Mrgs1]

It seems that there were over 50 sightings of the drone(s). And I believe the airport is closed again. As to how to tackle this issue, maybe the UK should follow the Dutch and used trained birds of prey to catch the drones - a small environmental benefit at least.

 

[AeroJ]

It seems that there were over 50 sightings of the drone(s). And I believe the airport is closed again. As to how to tackle this issue, maybe the UK should follow the Dutch and used trained birds of prey to catch the drones - a small environmental benefit at least.

I think the Dutch have abandoned that program because birds were getting injured from props, and even the biggest raptors can't really deal with anything larger than a Phantom.
Also Gatwick remains open as of this post.

 

[snappy]

AeroJ - you are right that LGW open - I was given false information on this - sorry and thanks correction.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

 

[Ren57]

Another person that instantly buys into a story and launches a video using the media as a fact based source.

According to the media the drone comes when authorities leave and leaves when authorities arrive. Since when can a 50mph-60mph “industrial drone” outrun a 160 knot helicopter? How can a 50-60 mph drone manage to evade a 70-100 power zoom lens mounted on a military grade gimbal?

The latest story about this I read tonight closed with a push from authorities for mandatory geo fencing. I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist but one company has been lobbying governments to adopt their geo fence software for the last couple years. That effort failed in the U.S. but was accepted and legislated into law by the E.U. The U. K. had, until now, remained on the fence. On the U.S. side the only reason it didn’t fly is because the U.S. wants to use home grown solutions with home based revenue streams, not Chinese.

Well, the story moves on. Apparently, they are now talking about some environmental activist group being behind the whole thing. And the BBC are saying (well they said it on their midday news/current affairs programme on BBC Radio 2) that if it does turn out to be some environmental activist group behind it, then that's OK then! It's actually the good guys trying to save the planet by stopping all those nasty aircraft flying kids to Lapland to see Santa for Christmas and stopping all that nasty CO2 going into the atmosphere! Not joking, they devoted half an hour of airtime to this BS.

I've yet to see any convincing evidence of any drone whatsoever. There have been a couple of blurry photos and a couple of very blurry videos of what appear to be DJI products flying, err, somewhere. They've got the rozzers crawling all over the place, they've even got the army there. No clear pictures of this apparently industrial type drone and police helicopters apparently are unable to follow it until the batteries run down and the bugger has to land! I smell a big fat rat somewhere.....! Those police helicopters are fitted with infra red tracking technology for Christs sake. Not only should they have been able to follow the alleged drone (even at night) but they should have been able to pick out the operator with their infra red gizzmo! Something's not right here....

 

[biltno]

The whole story contains a lot of vague information at this time. It may be because they haven’t released information because it may hinder the investigation. Right now it’s anyones guess. What is a fact is many thousands of people have been more than inconvenienced and we can just hope not only that it’s over but it wasn’t a drone after all

 

[Ren57]

What is a fact is many thousands of people have been more than inconvenienced and we can just hope not only that it’s over but it wasn’t a drone after all

Doesn't matter according to the BBC our national broadcaster. It's tough s**t for all those passengers, it's to save the planet!

 

[PatR]

Some may find it interesting to learn the weapons targeting systems on military helicopters wreak havoc on 2.4 frequencies broadcast at much higher power levels than our drones use. AN/SPY radar can disrupt drone control systems, causing them to crash out of control. Then again, pump up the power and focus the radiated beam and it can microwave a human being some miles distant. Military level air search radar can detect small birds.

The stated inability to locate either the drones or the operators contain holes big enough to drive a freight train through.

 

[AeroJ]

Uh-oh; the 'drone' has been back apparently. Last seen at 17:10 GMT today. They suspended movement again, but only for an hour this time. It resumed 10 minutes ago according to latest reports.

 

[AeroJ]

And now they are using a pic of a Typhoon H in the article about how the culprit could be punished !

What punishment could a drone operator face?

 

[PatR]

DJI legal must have complained about the Mavic picture.

 

[Ren57]

And now they are using a pic of a Typhoon H in the article about how the culprit could be punished !

Still be flying mine Christmas day, with my new 64Gb U3 micro SD card

 

[Jagerbomb52]

Well this statement just made me wonder whats coming next for a set of laws. Holy Molly
"He says even possessing a drone within a certain distance of an airfield should be considered an offence."
"The law should be made as strict as possible as the consequences could be so calamitous," he adds."

 

[Ren57]

DJI legal must have complained about the Mavic picture.

I don't like to talk conspiracy theory's either........but: Consider this. The CAA recently put out a consultation document about proposed new rules and regulations concerning drones in the UK. Part of that consultation document covered counter drone technologies and giving the rozzers more powers to intervene when a person is thought to be flying illegally. Now Whilst I may agree with airports having counting drone technology, for the very reason we are getting this story right now, I can see that counter drone technology being abused. Who will be qualified to use it? And the new police powers included: Confiscation of your drone and any recording imaging equipment you might have. That could include cameras, laptops, tablets, smartphones they are even to be given powers to bust into your house to search for these items! I don't know what anyone else thinks but I think the rozzers have too many powers as it is? What if the CAA got a really negative feedback from that consultation document. Because the way it was worded, the contracts had already been awarded to those interested parties. And having received a massive 2 fingers to their consultation document, they've engineered this whole story so that they can implement it and award the contracts.....? Is that beyond the realms of possibility? Because something just doesn't seem right here....

 

[Ren57]

"He says even possessing a drone within a certain distance of an airfield should be considered an offence."

That's me buggered then, I only live 3 miles from MIA and I've got 3 of them sitting in my back room!

 

[AeroJ]

More developments... Someone has seen a dude in a hi-vis packing up 2 drones and racing off on a motorbike around 4 miles from the runway. And The Sun have offered £10K for info leading to the conviction of the pilot.

Gatwick drone menace spotted by motorist as he frantically packed up tech