Drones threatening commercial a/c?
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A very relevant article here from the UK perspective
Drones involved in near misses at UK airports - BBC News
Drones involved in near misses at UK airports - BBC News
A catastrophic collision with a personal small drone might make a small dent in the wing leading edge much like hitting a bird. Let's worry about something a little more worth our concern.
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Drone racing?
Here's something non-destructive about drones. Some people are apparently putting big money into drone racing. This video presents the organization's dream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3886eVPR48
Here's another video of the reality of the first race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Srlx9bHsM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3886eVPR48
Here's another video of the reality of the first race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Srlx9bHsM
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A very relevant article here from the UK perspective
Drones involved in near misses at UK airports - BBC News
Drones involved in near misses at UK airports - BBC News
So we have two airliners - one at 2,000 feet and the other at 4,000 feet "during take off". I'll defer to the bus-drivers on here, but would I be right in thinking that ya typical aerobus will be doing well over 200mph in that phase of flight? Let's call it 100m/sec.
To see an object and explicitly identify it as a "drone" you'd need to be within, what, 200m of it? Now I know airline pilots are living gods with all the omnipotence and omniscience that goes with it, and call me a cynic if you wish, but I have real trouble believing that in the two seconds between initial visibility and passing "within feet" even an airline pilot couldn't accurately identify the object which he/she believes went past the window. It could just have easily been a bird, a party balloon or the consequences of last night's crew-party in the hotel.
Once upon a time it was UFOs - now to pilots everything is a drone. Tell you what - fit a dashcam and let us all see what bit of airborne flotsam you're calling a drone this week...
PDR
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Another hawkeyed pilot - at 285mph (~130m/sec) the alleged drone must have been identifiable for no more than 1.5 seconds even if we assume it was spotted at the earliest opportunity.
So how can he/she have been sure it was a drone...?
PDR
So how can he/she have been sure it was a drone...?
PDR
Appears to have been a Ryanair flight.
Originally Posted by PDR1
Now I know airline pilots are living gods with all the omnipotence and omniscience that goes with it
Thank you for the compliment; we do try to live up to your expectations
yes, I'm taking a little bit of the mick, as they say. But do you accept the cause of my scepticism on this? I still haven't had a considered response on how such an accurate identification can so often be arrived at from such a short glimpse. All the more so in that last case as it turns out that the closest point of approach was 50m away...
PDR
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Dutch Police Training Eagles to Take Down Drones
The Dutch National Police are attempting to train eagles to take down drones.
Dutch Police Training Eagles to Take Down Drones - IEEE Spectrum
Dutch Police Training Eagles to Take Down Drones - IEEE Spectrum
Only half a speed-brake
PDR1: I like your thinking, but come to a different conclusion. If they had been looking at the right direction, it is entirely possible.
FD.
Play around and stop the clip I embedded, with a watch at hand. 0,6 sec is plenty for MkI eyeball to recognize things.
FD.
Play around and stop the clip I embedded, with a watch at hand. 0,6 sec is plenty for MkI eyeball to recognize things.
The vast majority of purchased off the shelf drones will can not fly near airports, the four big manufacturers have implemented no fly zones, each drone carries a database of forbidden GPS co ordinates and the drone just won't enter that airspace.
There are still a few custom made machines that can.
There are still a few custom made machines that can.
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Report on BBC news that Manchester airport has had infringements of its airspace by drones. It has asked operators to be more vigilant and stay clear. Wow.
Yet paragliders, parameters, sailplanes will all be penalised severely if they created the same offence.
I can almost guarantee that when there is the first mid-air collision there will be an all out hunt for the owner. Following that, successful or not, there will be a drive for registration so that owners can be identified.
Owners who operate sensibly & legally can not have any objection to registration when they purchase a drone, other than cost. Where it will be difficult to enforce is when people buy them via internet from an overseas supplier.
Given that we are in a proactive accident prevention environment I wonder why there is such a lackadasical response.
This is not a prohibition or even a restriction on drone operations; it's simply a means to identify those who act irresponsibly in a life threatening environment.
Yet paragliders, parameters, sailplanes will all be penalised severely if they created the same offence.
I can almost guarantee that when there is the first mid-air collision there will be an all out hunt for the owner. Following that, successful or not, there will be a drive for registration so that owners can be identified.
Owners who operate sensibly & legally can not have any objection to registration when they purchase a drone, other than cost. Where it will be difficult to enforce is when people buy them via internet from an overseas supplier.
Given that we are in a proactive accident prevention environment I wonder why there is such a lackadasical response.
This is not a prohibition or even a restriction on drone operations; it's simply a means to identify those who act irresponsibly in a life threatening environment.
Agree, the UK / Europe needs a Drone registration programme, RF ID chips could be embedded in every new drone sold to trace ownership. Currently drone manufacturers can trace drones via serial numbers to customers/distributors.
Reckless flying - This is a accident waiting to happen, as I posted before the majority of bought "off the shelf" drones cant fly near airports, there is currently blocking software. Its the tiny number of custom built machines that can.
Perhaps if stiffer penalties were enforced on reckless drone flying along with those who feel its fun to laser aircraft.
Reckless flying - This is a accident waiting to happen, as I posted before the majority of bought "off the shelf" drones cant fly near airports, there is currently blocking software. Its the tiny number of custom built machines that can.
Perhaps if stiffer penalties were enforced on reckless drone flying along with those who feel its fun to laser aircraft.
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Until a single shred of evidence is produced that small toy UAVs are a threat, then perhaps they should be left alone?
There are currently millions of untrained people flying quadcopters around the planet.
As far as I'm aware there is not one single case of confirmed collision yet, let alone a collision that caused life threatening damage on an airliner.
I fail to see how registering drones will help in the majority of cases.
If it just flies around, causing a nuisance and causing aircraft to take avoiding action, then lands again in a field and disappears before it can be reported or found, how is that any easier to trace than unregistered drones.
Unless it has a unique tracking code that is transmitted at all times and can be detected by radar.
Hows about a Mode C transponder, so ATC with an SSR radar can advise aircraft if there is a danger, and TCAS can at least pick it up also.
And if people don't want to pay for the cost of that, then buy a smaller drone that has the controls limited to say 50 metres line of sight, like a remote control toy.
If it just flies around, causing a nuisance and causing aircraft to take avoiding action, then lands again in a field and disappears before it can be reported or found, how is that any easier to trace than unregistered drones.
Unless it has a unique tracking code that is transmitted at all times and can be detected by radar.
Hows about a Mode C transponder, so ATC with an SSR radar can advise aircraft if there is a danger, and TCAS can at least pick it up also.
And if people don't want to pay for the cost of that, then buy a smaller drone that has the controls limited to say 50 metres line of sight, like a remote control toy.
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Anti-drone eagles
Police 'ponder eagles to tackle drones' - BBC News
Interesting, and probably quite effective. Although more use in the quoted prison environment, than flying an eagle on airport approaches.
Interesting, and probably quite effective. Although more use in the quoted prison environment, than flying an eagle on airport approaches.