Gatwick drone incident

[Keith Simmons]

I am sorry for the tens of thousands of passengers affected by the deliberate disruption of using drones over a major airport such as Gatwick. The Christmas spirit is ruined for many families.

[Peter Christy]

Good quote from the BMFA!

--

Pete

[kc]

This is beginning to look like a protest stunt - stopping Gatwicks planes for a day will let them say they are reducing pollution.

[Michael Ramsay-Fraser]

Expect Daily Mail rhetoric to go into overdrive.

'Enemies of the State' perhaps?

[Don Fry]

Well, I have read the above guff.

Now, my soul is scarred, and interbred with cynicism. But I now have to defer to the consiracy theories being aired. I, even in my most cynical, would hesitate to suggest that our leaders are on a bit of diversion therapy.

Mind, simple ignorance and incompetence by Gatwick management, and Plod management, might be an answer.

But, it will all come out in the wash. Possibly.

[Don Fry]

No I take it all back, just looked a the Mail, shudder, and the have a photo, and it looks like a quadropter. Mail mind, shudder, health warning.

[Adrian Smith 1]

Don & Michael.

I really don't think here is the place to be airing petty prejudices against a national newspaper. Time grow up I think. And no I don't read the Mail.

[Lima Hotel Foxtrot]

Posted by Martin Harris on 20/12/2018 17:37:15:

Fortunately, the CAA seem aware of the distinction between hobby modellers and drone operators. In fact, I don't think that we should the apply the word pilot to their users (with the exception of drone racers).

This is very much something I would emphasise. The continued tendency on this forum AND other forums AND Facebook is to start running around like headless grannies, speculating about what is going on and how badly it's going to effect the hobby.

Remember the recent canvassing for new proposals re UAV legislation? How many people slagged off the BMFA for doing nowt for the average club flier and rolling over for the CAA, until it turned out that the BMFA had some very productive meetings with the CAA and the result was excellent foe everyone involved. Then the same people were very happy with all the hard work the BMFA had done. Have a little faith in the CAA, I hear one or two of their staff may be model fliers.

* Warning: Off Topic:* Although I disagree with the second point here. I hold a PFCO and I'm absolutely a pilot. It says so on my paperwork!

[Michael Ramsay-Fraser]

Posted by Adrian Smith 1 on 20/12/2018 19:05:01:

Don & Michael.

I really don't think here is the place to be airing petty prejudices against a national newspaper. Time grow up I think. And no I don't read the Mail.

No need to be offensive. I only used the Daily Mail as an example of the likely tabloid exaggeration that's bound to be in most of the papers tomorrow. I think it's inevitable that a great deal of assumptions will be made, most of it provided by 'experts' that probably don't know one side of a drone from the other.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Lima Hotel Foxtrot]

We're assuming the drones are being flown by people. What if they've finally become self aware! AAAAARGH! Run for the hills!

[Andrew767]

Posted by Lima Hotel Foxtrot on 20/12/2018 19:36:24:

We're assuming the drones are being flown by people. What if they've finally become self aware! AAAAARGH! Run for the hills!

[Don Fry]

Actually the Mail, shudder, has a picture of a quadropter. Now all I said, was, it's is not a trusted source. If I have to stand to attention, it is a National Newspaper, to para phrase, over my cold dead body, but what the picture shows, is a quadcopter. And my post has nothing to do with Michael's. Look at the paper.

[Paul C.]

'Believe nothing you hear, Only half of what you see, And everything you feel' I apply this to all media and it's usually true

Paul.

[Don Fry]

Posted by Paul C. on 20/12/2018 20:16:20:

'Believe nothing you hear, Only half of what you see, And everything you feel' I apply this to all media and it's usually true

Paul.

Now there is a naive trusting person speaking. But the Mail, shudder, still claims that the picture they have, a quadropter, is wot is causing the problem.

[Peter Miller]

For many, many years I have summed up the stories in all newspapers with any combnation of three words

Sex, Sadism and stupidity.

[Chris Walby]

I don't know for certain, but can't most high end drones fly pre programmed GPS routes? No AI needed

Plan in advance, put it down in one location, drive to the next as it wanders around making a nuisance of itself and pick it up from its new landing spot?

New battery and change of route and off it goes again.

With something the size of Gatwick the "Moron" does to have to fly it at any time, plus it makes it much harder to detect as to when its going to pop up and disappear again?

IMHO this is no moron, but a very calculating cold blooded individual intent on causing maximum disruption with very little chance of being caught.

I feel immensely sorry for all those people adversely affected by this action

[cymaz]

Posted by Chris Walby on 20/12/2018 21:39:02:

I don't know for certain, but can't most high end drones fly pre programmed GPS routes? No AI needed

Plan in advance, put it down in one location, drive to the next as it wanders around making a nuisance of itself and pick it up from its new landing spot?

New battery and change of route and off it goes again.

With something the size of Gatwick the "Moron" does to have to fly it at any time, plus it makes it much harder to detect as to when its going to pop up and disappear again?

IMHO this is no moron, but a very calculating cold blooded individual intent on causing maximum disruption with very little chance of being caught.

I feel immensely sorry for all those people adversely affected by this action

Agree, so which airport is next? Heathrow?

[Allan Bowker]

Having only just viewed the footage of the quad flying over Gatwick during daylight, a few things strike me:

• The X quad passes by at a relatively high and steady altitude with precise changes of direction.
• This would be tricky to achieve LOS, so I think this is a pre-programmed set of GPS waypoints.
• Having no video or TX link for authorities to trace makes finding the operator very difficult.
• It's not hard to build an 'endurance' multi-rotor that can fly for long sorties.
• This appears to be a new deliberate 'denial of service' type of attack on our infrastructure.
• The moron(s) don't appear to be stupid (but they are still morons!).

10pm news says that another fly-by has been witnessed during the last hour

I do hope the perpetrator(s) are caught.

[Erfolg]

The latest suggestion is that it is organised by anti Gatwick protestors. Given the duration of the repeated events, those who suggest a pre-planned series of flights, could be correct. Particularly that the flights appear to have now been taking place well over a 18 hour period. As there are no flying aircraft to photo, you have to consider that this is not about a few photographs, however stupidly taken etc.

It would not surprise me that the police know the people involved. How much evidence will they require to undertake a successful prosecution and conviction?

For us modelers it would be the best outcome, if it can be shown that the events are the doing of a protest group.

Yet, there will almost be repercussions beyond the present legislative and regulatory environment. There could well be a big decision for the BMFA, to fight for those who fly from club sites with fixed wing and helicopters, or accept more restrictions on us all, in the fight to more effectively regulate drones. Either way members would be lost.

[Paul C.]

Hi Don, agree that it's a quadcopter of some sort that is causing the disruption and that there is video to confirm this. My post was just trying to say that initial reports in the press, news , social media are not usually the most reliable hence my reluctance to take them on face value until some substantiated fact emerge.

I don't think that I am a naive or particularly trusting person to be honest with you but I guess everyone has their own opinion of things. I hope that the authorities are able to quickly track down these folks and dispense justice before other 'morons' decide it's a good idea to do the same at other airports.

Paul.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Fella interviewed on Sky who flys commercial drones. The laws are already in place to deal with these events/people as with speeding, theft etc, more laws would not help prevent or catch those responsible today.

Lot of money been lost today, Country embarrassed and lots of miserable folk stranded with hotels full, let's hope they've made mistakes and are caught.

 

Edited By john stones 1 on 20/12/2018 23:48:10

[Brian Cooper]

A lot of drones will be unwrapped on Christmas morning. . None of these drones require any flying skills to operate them. . Before Christmas dinner is on the table, there will be a whole new batch of morons created.

[SIMON CRAGG]

What a nightmare for the thousands effected by this episode. A few sleepness nights for the BMFA when the dust settles, as we all get tarred with the same brush. Lets wish the BMFA luck, they did a great job the last time similar occured. I think Gatwick are doing the right thing........the results of one of these airliners crashing in the area is unthinkable. What an earth is happening to the World when things like this happen?. The disruption and overall cost will be phenominal. Lets all hope that the system eventually catches up with the "Moron(s).

[Rich too]

No amount of law making would have prevented this, and it was just a matter of time. Anti-drone technology is desperately needed and the only solution. I find it astonishing that the authorities have no immediate solution. We cannot allow a drone to bring a major airport to a standstill, what next?