If this is Terrorism then so is a crack pot lashing themselves to a M25 motorway bridge causing massive tailbacks both ways.
​​Somthing we may have to live with. Especially if the miscreants are not caught and severely dealt with. No videos uploaded from the perps or claims of why made public yet . A good day for Mrs May to bury #Brexit news. Coincidence?

This individual has done what BALPA has been trying to do for some years without success, make the politicians and airports see sense.
Why are drones permitted within Class A airspace without specific clearance from ATC?

There's no single, universally accepted definition of terrorism, but this is from a 2005 publication (Root Causes of Terrorism):
"terrorism is a set of methods of combat rather than an identifiable ideology or movement, and involves premeditated use of violence against (primarily) non-combatants in order to achieve a psychological effect of fear on others than the immediate targets.”
Hence, terrorism seeks to cause fear through violence or the threat of violence. These drones at LGW seem to have done exactly that, even if the whole story is yet to emerge.

Saw this advert on the tube the other day.

Maybe a group like this were involved.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....ab69600a59.jpg

Sky9 - Silly old ATC, if only they'd refused the drone operators request for clearance this could all have been prevented. :ugh:

The airframe wasn't, but a 10cc glow plug engine and a tuned pipe are far heavier than an anti-aircraft round.

No but drones are technically aircraft and there is absolutely no reason why drones could not be given permission to operate at a specific time place and height within controlled airspace with the clearance could be given electronically. At the present time it would appear that they have been given unrestricted access up to within 1km of an airfield and a specific height in all airspace
The current operator if he gets caught will no doubt claim that he wasn't endangering an aircraft because there were all grounded and the jury will no doubt find him innocent or the judge will give him a suspended sentence.

wouldn't this whole incident be rather ironic if it turns out to be an old boy farmer trying 'to get with the times' with a industrial drone to crop spray his fields (I know there is a lot more requirements needed).
not having the experience or full know how but dangerous enough to think he knows and planning a route over his crops and sending the drone on it's way.
I can just imagine him (or her) sitting in his front room thinking 'this new fangled technology is great', completely unaware what is actually going on. none the wiser.

3 years ago police cuts removed 50 specialist officers from airport flightpath protection. Originally deployed to counter the perceived terrorist manpad threat, would have been useful to instead expand remit to counter the well-warned drone threat. All I could find was this Reuters article. There must be more in the public domain somewhere.
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-security-police-exclusive-idUKKBN0TN0Q320151204

"Known as Flight Path Protection Teams (FPPT), the British police units were set up in 2008 to find and negate the threat from locations near airports where militants could fire Manpads or similar weaponry at planes as they take off and land.

They also work with local communities to collect intelligence about any suspicious activity.

Police chiefs plan to reduce their number from about 50 officers around the country to two constables based in London because they have assessed that there is currently minimal risk of such attacks, the two sources told Reuters."

I think that you'll find that the person(s) responsible is / are someone skulking around Gatwick in possession of a drone.

All reminds me of the Iceland volcano of 10 years ago, nobody is left in authority who is capable of taking decisions on what to do, all too frightened of being second-guessed by somebody afterwards so leave it to "someone else" along the chain.

I'd put money on that actual team (not one single individual) being in a van, heading up the M3 at this very moment, towards the M25 and Heathrow airport to repeat the same shenanigans again - probably on Christmas eve.

Possibly. But my money's on it being a demonstration of ability.
The team who did it are many miles from the EGKK now and drinking some beers and finessing their road map of intended extortion.
"EGLL - you're next unless you transfer X amount of £'s in to offshore account No; 1234, etc, etc.

In reality operators with a PfCO will be aware when flying in an area that is either controlled or closed to controlled airspace and will make contact with the appropriate tower. Typically they want to know where one is flying, the height and a contact number, and to get a call when flying is completed. If they have a greater concern about the proposed location if on the flightpath it is then discussed, and usually some sort of compromise worked out.

It is of course obvious that yesterday's dronist was not flying to anyone's rules.....

We know who is responsible for closing the runways... The authorities for over reacting to the perceived danger... Looks like a small "phantom" type drone in the video, (it even had it's lights on to be seen) weighing less than 7Kgs and not even required to remain clear of controlled airspace.
Correct me if I'm wrong...