Drones over gatwick..

Screeeech · 20 Dec 2018 at 14:27

The guy from sky news reporting that there have been several sightings in the last 3 hours, if true - the people doing it are being seriously brazen.

They're talking about restarting flights at 4pm, however - with the way these people are behaving, it wouldn't surprise me if they go on until they're caught.

Imagine the red faces, if the drone operator(s) simply stop and disappear without trace and are never caught....

dowie · 20 Dec 2018 at 14:34

Screeeech said:
They're talking about restarting flights at 4pm, however - with the way these people are behaving, it wouldn't surprise me if they go on until they're caught.

Imagine the red faces, if the drone operator(s) simply stop and disappear without trace and are never caught....

I guess quite possible if launched from some distance away and the drones actually left to operate as actual automated drones following a flight pattern.

LoadsaMoney · 20 Dec 2018 at 14:51

I find it absolutely hilarious that they are powerless to stop it, a piddly drone, and the countrys ******, no wonder we're a laughing stock

Saying they can't shoot it down or anything, of course you ******* can FGS!.

Cern · 20 Dec 2018 at 14:56

Does a drone need to be within continuous range of the controller? Or can it be launched and then set on an automated flight plan before being landed and collected from a different location?

Delvis · 20 Dec 2018 at 14:58

Cern said:
Does a drone need to be within continuous range of the controller? Or can it be launched and then set on an automated flight plan before being landed and collected from a different location?

Legally there is a set range, but with anything nowadays you can mod things like the DJI phantom a to get 5k range i think or something ridiculous, which obviously negates the ''keep drone with eyesight" rule

200sols · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:00

Cern said:
Does a drone need to be within continuous range of the controller? Or can it be launched and then set on an automated flight plan before being landed and collected from a different location?

I’m sure if somebody custom built one they could do anything they wanted.

Bigpops · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:04

I guarantee you there's a hobbyist FPV pilot within a mile of Gatwick that is capable of launching his racing / freestyle FPV drone to follow the nuisance drone next time it's spotted and find out where it ends up. If he stays above the nuisance drone, the operator won't even see it.

Of course, that would be too simple.

Re autonamous flight: It depends on the system. DJI stuff (phantom, mavik) can do autonomous flight (way points etc) if you use an iPad, but not with android or iphones. Systems like Arducopter (which is open source) can do mission planning from laptops or phones / tablets.

SupraWez · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:05

Cern said:
Does a drone need to be within continuous range of the controller? Or can it be launched and then set on an automated flight plan before being landed and collected from a different location?

If someone knocked one up using cheap bits sourced from multiple suppliers you can build it to do what ever you want, flight controllers with the ability to set unmanned way-points and record the footage have been around for a long time and its all very cheap to accomplish if self built, blocking the control signal would have no affect as it would follow a path pre-programmed via GPS, not easy shutdown / block GPS for a small area.

SupraWez · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:07

Now saying flights cancelled till at least 7pm, so can we assume they haven't caught the drone or people responsible.

Skillmister · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:12

I'm getting one for Christmas, thankfully I've got the whole of Snowdonia to fly over from my back garden

dowie · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:13

Cern said:
Does a drone need to be within continuous range of the controller? Or can it be launched and then set on an automated flight plan before being landed and collected from a different location?

Could well be if you build it yourself.

Abyss · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:13

Participant said:
Thank goodness you don't passively fly them.

...and now I know why you have such a high post count. Great contribution to the thread and my attempt to explain the recent regulation changes regarding drones :rolleyes:

Yadda · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:14

Bigpops said:
I guarantee you there's a hobbyist FPV pilot within a mile of Gatwick that is capable of launching his racing / freestyle FPV drone to follow the nuisance drone next time it's spotted and find out where it ends up. If he stays above the nuisance drone, the operator won't even see it.

Of course, that would be too simple.

I'd be surprised if they weren't already doing that with the force drones, which would have a far longer flight time than a race or freestyle drone so would stand a better chance of finding and staying with the problem drone.

Participant · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:15

Abyss said:
...and now I know why you have such a high post count. Great contribution to the thread and my attempt to explain the recent regulation changes regarding drones

Go on then, explain what actively flying means

Skillmister · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:17

Participant said:
Go on then, explain what actively flying means

The same thing that everyone who doesn't purposefully try to pick holes in people's posts knows it means..

wmb · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:24

My theory is it's some bloke desperately trying to prevent his mother in law flying in for Christmas.

Minusorange · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:25

"Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears; when we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears,"

Stealth drone confirmed!

IronWarrior · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:27

Said this before, but this country is pathetic, we are always unprepared for anything. You think a god damn international airport would have plans on how to deal with drones.

There is anti-drone weapons that can force them to land, electronic warfare equipment is also available that could force them them to land, crash them or hack them or just plain old, shoot them out the sky. The Police do have access to some decent weapons that have the range plus the calibre for the job. (clearly that's based on the height they are flying.)

While shooting drones out the sky is really difficult task for many reasons, it's possible, I seen videos of soldiers doing it in Syria who manage to do it, that said, I would had thought they would had used anti-drone weapons already.

At this rate, they should had invited the Army in and have them deal with it... It's almost a full day now, 100,000's of people stuck, how many millions of pounds lost? Where in reality this should had been fixed in a hour or so.

Jesus, they could buy their own drones and ram them already, there is drones that have nets for this sort of business.

I can't believe after all this time, they can't track the drone to the operator.

It's pathetic.

After this, I bet they will try to force new drone laws that harm the hobby even more.

Puzzled · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:27

Bigpops said:
I guarantee you there's a hobbyist FPV pilot within a mile of Gatwick that is capable of launching his racing / freestyle FPV drone to follow the nuisance drone next time it's spotted and find out where it ends up. If he stays above the nuisance drone, the operator won't even see it.

Time to send in the Drone Police :eek:

Mel_P · 20 Dec 2018 at 15:28

Looks like an inside job to me?

Shoot it down! From an RAF helicopter. This was bound to happen. Police a laughing stock! Where is all the technology GCHQ is supposed to have?