This pic is of the npas helo searching? Not the troublemaker drone?

Sometimes I wonder if I should change my name to Mystic Meg?

8th Dec 2014 Post #55 https://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/552...ml#post8774881

Military now deployed.

It seems tto me the safest alternative is to shoot it down from above using a shotgun in a police helicopter. At close range it would be hard to miss. You could see where the overspray was going to wind up, thereby minimizing any collateral damage. If you approach from above the drone camera will never see you coming.

Most drones (e.g. DJI) are fitted with a mix of GPS, solid-state accelerometers and gyros, barometric altimeters and multiple cameras for object avoidance and visual odometry. They really are quite sophisticated and relatively inexpensive.

Quite shocking that it is possible to purchase technology like this without regulation or licence.

Daily Mail has a video. Make of that what you will....

Having been through LGW today it seems that the initial incursions were overnight - it cannot be beyond the wit of man, even Surrey Police, to follow any drone observed for some part of the way. If there are no flights a police helicopter should be able to follow them (again part of the way). Then ground patrols in the area.

All I hear is hand wringing and buck passing and suggestions of "studies"

Looking at the latest footage taken from a mobile phone, to my eye, it looks like a quad, for me, it has the distinctive shape of a Phantom bit it must be an early machine the later beats are geo-fenced.

Its become surreal now, these things have limited control range, nobody with a spectrum analyser and a directional antenna.

After 20 hours the police have asked for the support of the military.

I wonder at what point this evening the Minister for Aviation will be handing in her resignation?

BBC currently reporting that the Government has temporarily lifted the night flight restrictions at the other London airports.

Various possible defences against drones have been put forward; may I add my twopence worth?
In my infosec days, there was concern expressed about the ability of "HERF" (High Energy Radio Frequency) guns to damage electronic equipment in data centres. Now, I know such things have been built using magnetrons such as those from microwave ovens; but I'm unsure whether anything exists that could fry a drone's electronics at a range of (say) 150 metres or so. Attacking the drone's electronics directly would make it unnecessary for the drone to be under direct control to be vulnerable - also avoiding the problem of flying metal.
FWIW Wikipedia has an article on "directed energy weapons".

Rain forecast overnight should curtail any activity for a period....might allow LGW to re-establish a little "normality"?

Apparently, they are trying to track the op

This kit has been seen in Gatwick https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....da0d3b25f0.jpg


The gear has capabilities...

https://www.coptrz.com/dji-aeroscope/

So what if these drones had been carrying explosives, and/or had been flown directly into the path of aircraft full of passengers taxying, taking off or landing?

Gatwick Airport is currently implicitly sending the message to come and try this out, as they obviously have no means whatsoever to deal with this situation. And this probably applies to many, many other airports too.

Airport Notam'ed closed until 22Z:

Correct, from Eurocontrol:

Not sure but I would think if this happened at JFK or LGA ops would continue with a line added to the ATIS like 'Birds and unauthorized drone activity in vicinity of airport, advise controller on initial contact that you have information ZULU.'

My research and contacts suggests there are a very varied set of opinions on this kit. I wish them luck.

No news. Closed till 0600z. Jetblast for the hopeless and opinionated.

Rob