Drones, overreaction or justified?

Felon

Felon

Felon

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40476264

I literally just landed at Gatwick this afternoon, but had no knowledge of this - but it did get me wondering when I saw the headline, that they'd been redirecting planes and shut the runways temporarily,

In my mind, with things like this happening - it's only a matter of time until the government cracks down on drones, a near miss or even a strike - and I imagine they'll immediately start passing laws, possibly even bans on the sale or operation of them, perhaps restricted to individuals with a license.

What do people think? I'm all for these sorts of things being allowed - but it continually hammers home the reality that one of these in the wrong hands could cause a major disaster... (but then again so can just about anything when it's in the wrong hands.... )
 
the issue with drones isn't their destructive power, rc planes and helicopters have been capable of such for decades, it's just now any tom richard or harry with too much disposable income can get and fly one.

perhaps requirements for drones large enough to cause an issue sold as a full ready to go kit (eg a dgi phantom/similar) to have mandatory gps "no fly" zones that'll stop them. anyone dedicated enough to build their own or deactivate the limiter is going to likely fall into the same category as those who fly rc planes/helicopters (ie not idiots who disrupt air traffic)
 
Yeah, i think the main difference is that things such as RC planes and helicopters were really expensive, difficult to use and pretty much restricted to a hardcore group of hobbyists, as such I suppose the scenarios of them being flown into jet engines weren't really considered so much.

I suspect one of the larger drones could potentially do a hell of a lot of damage to an engine, whilst they're engines designed to ingest hail, ice and be able to withstand birds to some extent - I'm not sure if any of the engine builders have ever tested drones, especially considering that drones contain metal parts, lithium batteries etc

Pretty interesting read; http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/drones/a24467/drone-plane-collision/
 
You just have to look at the drone thread on here to see how people can't follow even simple rules with them.
 
I doubt that drones will ever be banned but maybe tighter restrictions on the use of them will come into play. Most people have a vehicle and they cause thousands of deaths each year but we don't ban vehicles. Same with Americans and guns. Maybe design them to be restricted to a certain lower altitude as to avoid possible contact with incoming or outgoing aircraft might be a good idea. At the end of the day it's the person using them responsible. Sadly morons can buy drones too.
 
We shouldn't wait to until a drone takes down a plane before someone does something. It should be banned outright within a certain radius of all airports tbh. It should be common sense not to fly these near airports.
 
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Sliver said:
I doubt that drones will ever be banned but maybe tighter restrictions on the use of them will come into play. Most people have a vehicle and they cause thousands of deaths each year but we don't ban vehicles.
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True, but in reality - we need vehicles to live, whilst banning vehicles would undoubtably save lives - we'd be worse off in the end overall without them, compared to drones - which are essentially just toys that we can get by perfectly fine without.

My worry is that the problem clearly exists, but the government won't take any meaningful steps until the **** hits the fan (literally) and something very bad happens, at which point they'd probably be an overnight ban... When instead they could introduce a licensing system *or any system for that matter* - where anyone wanting to fly one has to *do something official* to get certified, before they're allowed. In order to encourage responsible people, rather than some numpty wanting to try his luck at getting a full-frame photograph of an A380 rotating at the end of heathrow runway.
 
Raymond Lin said:
We shouldn't wait to until a drone takes down a plane before someone does something. It should be banned outright without a certain radius of all airports tbh. It should be common sense not to fly these near airports.
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How would it be enforced? I live fairly close to Gatwick and can imagine numerous places people would fly these without even taking it in to consideration of it being on a flight path.
 
Yes there are idiots who have drones and are flying them in areas they shouldn't be really.

I only really fly my drone in big open places and even then I keep it to 100ft height. I don't video or take pics if there are people around and if I do, I always ask permission.

I definitely do not fly in any places where there may be issues ie flight paths etc.

But of course there are morons out there who have drones and don't give a flying fig about where they fly.
 
I think there were a couple of companies that were tailing anti-UAV systems, where they essentially blast radio waves at a target so it simply drops out of the sky - could be pretty effective,
 
Liquiduk said:
How would it be enforced? I live fairly close to Gatwick and can imagine numerous places people would fly these without even taking it in to consideration of it being on a flight path.
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Serial number registration/licence for every new drone purchased. Or need to apply for a licence before you can even buy one. £5,000 per licence.

10 years imprisoment for being caught owning one without a licence, like a handgun.

Harsh? Yes but it'll stop most people buying them.

ps I want one to do aerial shots of wedding venues too so I really don't want any such rules to prohibit someone like me to use it for these kind of purposes but I rather have these rules than a plane being taken down by one of these.
 
Raymond Lin said:
ps I want one to do aerial shots of wedding venues too so I really don't want any such rules to prohibit someone like me to use it for these kind of purposes but I rather have these rules than a plane being taken down by one of these.
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Yeah this is the bit that worries me, right now - meaningful action could be taken that would allow responsible drone pilots to fly, and prohibit chancers and idiots from just walking into a high street shop and putting them in the skies, in harms way in 10 minutes without any checks.

My worry stems from the fact that nothing at all will get done until a major disaster occurs - at which point the government will have to be seen to act, and there'll be an outright overnight ban.
 
Raymond Lin said:
We shouldn't wait to until a drone takes down a plane before someone does something. It should be banned outright without a certain radius of all airports tbh. It should be common sense not to fly these near airports.
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this is the problem, drones have broken that barrier of being easy enough to use/fly that people who don't have common sense can actually pilot them effectively.
 
teaboy5 said:
DJI drones have NFZ databases in them that won't let you enter an airports air space for example.
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Indeed they do so manufacturers are doing what they can do to limit drones being flown in dangerous areas.

Lots of people complaining about DJI and their overly restrictive firmwares. Personally I don't have an issue with it, rather them try and protect us than to let anyone just fly as high as they want to.
 
Sliver said:
No we don't. Mankind survived and thrived for thousands and thousands of years without vehicles. There is a thing called a horse you know. :rolleyes:
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/I assume sarcasm, because a horse is technically a vehicle if it's pulling a cart...

We live drastically different lives now than we did thousands of years ago - we rely on vehicles for literally every single aspect of our lives.
 
adolf hamster said:
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perhaps requirements for drones large enough to cause an issue sold as a full ready to go kit (eg a dgi phantom/similar) to have mandatory gps "no fly" zones that'll stop them. anyone dedicated enough to build their own or deactivate the limiter is going to likely fall into the same category as those who fly rc planes/helicopters (ie not idiots who disrupt air traffic)
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Dji drones already have no fly zones
 
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