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Another drone incident closting an airport in England... Heathrow this time

At this point all a prankster has to do to shut down an airport is call in an drone sighting. No proof required.

And there's no penalty for making the call because it's impossible for law enforcement to prove you didn't really see one. This could really get out of hand - especially once it spreads out of England. Yikes
 
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Here we go again. More hate coming my way when I’m out flying no doubt
 
I feel sure that this information was confirmed by a separate source before they chose to shut down an airport the size of Heathrow.

However, if any member gets any information on the identity of these “lunatics” flying near an airport, our community will benefit greatly from you informing the police.

It is not “cool” or “funny” and can only do us harm through increased legistration and restrictions.
 
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The only thing we can do, to avoid all this stupid stuff over and over again, and all crying about "idiots who ruin our hobby", is to call every airport in the world, and say we saw a drone.

Maybe then, they will understand, that closing an airport, every time someone says "I saw a drone", is the most idiotic thing in the world.
 
I guess that the loss of a hull plus 450 lives is the only thing that would quieten that sort of suggestion.

Seriously guys, Heathrow Airport has one arrival or departure every 90 seconds throughout the day. An assessment of the validity of the sighting would first be made, probably by a group containing “interested parties e.g. ATC, CAA, Met office, police. I’m sure that it would be a group decision. If considered valid then they must act.

All flying vehicles are banned from entering the TMA (Terminal Movement Area UK) unless they have been positively identified on radar. The pilot then becomes under the direct control of the TMA radar controller who is responsible for ALL aircraft separation within the TMA. A drone cannot be seen on radar and the drone pilot is not under the control of the TMA radar controller.

Entering a TMA when not under positive radar control is a serious offence because of the increased risk of a collision. The penalties (in the UK) are loss of flying licence and a term of imprisonment. This demonstrates the seriousness of the act.

I have to side with the decision made. Imagine having a fatal accident on your conscience for the rest of your life, by ignoring the sighting.
 
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Agree with Horton. If we don't police ourselves, the government will gladly do it for us. Only they won't be bothered with having to police anything and will just shutdown the sale and operation of drones.
 
The only thing government can do, is law enforcement.

Flying over an airfield, is illegal, and there is no "more illegal".

And they cannot stop technology, or ban a billion industry from earth.

They just have to make sure, that they have trained personnel, and the equipment, to keep airfields"clean".
Otherwise, everyone will say "I saw a drone" and every activity will stop for days.
 
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The media photographer was driving on a motorway at night & spotted lights in the sky. He estimated it was a drone at an altitude between 300 & 400 feet, hovering over the airport.
Too busy driving to take a photo.
I ask anyone to try this..... Go outside at night & estimate how far away a light is? Take a friend with a torch to a unlit field, have them walk away into the dark, then shine the torch back towards you from a distant spot. Guess the distance. If it’s a torch that you haven’t seen used, you won’t know how bright it shines, or how far away it is.
Have a look on Utube there’s a blogger called xjet with videos about this incident & Gatwick also.
 
Agree with Horton. If we don't police ourselves, the government will gladly do it for us. Only they won't be bothered with having to police anything and will just shutdown the sale and operation of drones.
There is no question that risk to life cannot be ignored, but closing an airport down is so costly, both in monetary terms and inconvenience to passengers. We cannot go on like this, purely based on one person claiming, rightly, wrongly or mistakenly that he he or her has seen a drone over an airport.
These things are electronic, using radio signals. Ok they can be really quite small, but surely there is technology available to detect their presence and pinpoint their exact location, which does not cost millions of pounds. I am surprised that airport radar cannot see them, or at least be modified to see them.
I am sure everything I am saying is already being looked into, but like everything else it will take years to come to fruition. Surely if a drone is being flown, the radio signal alone can be detected, even if only to confirm a siting.
 
There is no question that risk to life cannot be ignored, but closing an airport down is so costly, both in monetary terms and inconvenience to passengers. We cannot go on like this, purely based on one person claiming, rightly, wrongly or mistakenly that he he or her has seen a drone over an airport.
These things are electronic, using radio signals. Ok they can be really quite small, but surely there is technology available to detect their presence and pinpoint their exact location, which does not cost millions of pounds. I am surprised that airport radar cannot see them, or at least be modified to see them.
I am sure everything I am saying is already being looked into, but like everything else it will take years to come to fruition. Surely if a drone is being flown, the radio signal alone can be detected, even if only to confirm a siting.
This is right on. Because of what appears like relative ease of confirming these sightings based on current tech or even existing airport radar only fuels the conspiracy theorists to question the validity of these claims, and the motivations behind them. Catching a perpetrator, and confirming (with video proof or otherwise) the actual sightings, would go a long way into stopping this from happening... If in fact it really is...
 
According to the BBC News today, all UK airports now have, or soon will have “military grade anti drone equipment” fitted. This equipment can detect, track and take down drones. Police are to be given stronger powers in this area. Hopefully, the “thrill” or whatever some people get in flying a drone in controlled airspace will disappear (or become too expensive!)
 
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According to the BBC News today, all UK airports now have, or soon will have “military grade anti drone equipment” fitted. This equipment can detect, track and take down drones. Police are to be given stronger powers in this area. Hopefully, the “thrill” or whatever some people get in flying a drone in controlled airspace will disappear (or become too expensive!)

Let's hope it works before these idiots ruin it for all of us. OR, works in the sense that they can prove the drone sightings are erroneous.
 
No drone just stupid BS as usal, but them doing this has added weight to the other BS incident at Gatwick, that's all the authorities need to say to get the dumb public up in arms and be anti drone.
 
No drone just stupid BS as usal, but them doing this has added weight to the other BS incident at Gatwick, that's all the authorities need to say to get the dumb public up in arms and be anti drone.

It's a double edged sword for the government. First, I'd rather have them put something like that in place rather than chance a drone taking down an airliner. But that said, does it lend credence to something that may be a false issue? Yes it does. On the other hand, once in place and the question is asked Ok, how many reported drone sightings were actually drone sightings? Well...……………...none. I'm fine with letting the government prove our case for us.
 
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Agreed. So it feels like a smart move by the UK government. Safeguarding controlled airspace whilst also having the capability of confirming drone sightings ... or none.
 
Bigger penalties for hoaxers would put an end to this. The airports employ people to check flight corridors for problems. They don't require BBC camera operators to chip in.
Media are playing games.
 

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