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Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

nytimes.com

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Re: Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

#51

Post by lordnacho »

pj_mukh wrote: post #10

Just as in Gatwick before this, the police and the airport are not able to produce even grainy footage of a drone that is supposedly "buzzing" the tower. Gatwick reported "67 sightings", but couldn't confirm if some (all?) were their own drones [1]. And now Parliament is tabling new powers for the police [2]. Was there ever any evidence presented that there was ever a drone present? Is there any evidence that this wa…

Britain is covered in CCTV. Surely if there's a drone it will be visible in camera footage?

Re: Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

#52

Post by tomchuk »

eponeponepon wrote: post #22

I kind of struggle to understand how there isn't enough equipment and electrical engineering expertise on site at a modern airport to pinpoint these drones really quickly - especially at Heathrow. Even a small drone surely makes a ton of radio noise just from its motors, no?

Tracking/jamming equipment is available [1] (and pretty cool).

[1] https://www.aaronia.com/products/solutions/Aaronia-Drone-Det...

Re: Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

#53

Post by mirekrusin »

pj_mukh wrote: post #10

Just as in Gatwick before this, the police and the airport are not able to produce even grainy footage of a drone that is supposedly "buzzing" the tower. Gatwick reported "67 sightings", but couldn't confirm if some (all?) were their own drones [1]. And now Parliament is tabling new powers for the police [2]. Was there ever any evidence presented that there was ever a drone present? Is there any evidence that this wa…

We used to have better name for this sightings, "UFO", now it's "drone" ;) I'm curious of near ground UFO signting numbers, they must have dropped down to zero, even if they're controlled by little green/gray things from other planets.

Re: Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

#54

Post by setquk »

sschueller wrote: post #49
eponeponepon wrote: post #22

I kind of struggle to understand how there isn't enough equipment and electrical engineering expertise on site at a modern airport to pinpoint these drones really quickly - especially at Heathrow. Even a small drone surely makes a ton of radio noise just from its motors, no?

It really would not take long for the airport to launch a drone to look for the other one. Maybe a minute? They could have a experienced pilot on staff at the tower. Costs a lot less than shutting down the airport for hours. I would even say a skilled pilot with a trackable drone in communication with the tower could safely fly to investiage without a shutdown of the airport.

Then they get lots of calls from other people saying they’ve seen it and it’s actuslly the search and destroy drone...

Re: Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

#55

Post by jstanley »

sschueller wrote: post #49
eponeponepon wrote: post #22

I kind of struggle to understand how there isn't enough equipment and electrical engineering expertise on site at a modern airport to pinpoint these drones really quickly - especially at Heathrow. Even a small drone surely makes a ton of radio noise just from its motors, no?

It really would not take long for the airport to launch a drone to look for the other one. Maybe a minute? They could have a experienced pilot on staff at the tower. Costs a lot less than shutting down the airport for hours. I would even say a skilled pilot with a trackable drone in communication with the tower could safely fly to investiage without a shutdown of the airport.

How would launching a drone help you look for another one if you don't know where it is? At least when you're looking from ground level you can be sure the drone is above you.

Re: Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

#56

Post by setquk »

bdamm wrote: post #47
eponeponepon wrote: post #22

I kind of struggle to understand how there isn't enough equipment and electrical engineering expertise on site at a modern airport to pinpoint these drones really quickly - especially at Heathrow. Even a small drone surely makes a ton of radio noise just from its motors, no?

Yes, but not at well defined frequencies, and it's competing with every other laptop fan, vacuum cleaner, refrigerator, sliding door, and electric stove as a source of RF noise.

Drones are likely flying around in pretty well defined frequencies. And the noise isn’t a problem because the receivers are receiving.

Re: Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

#57

Post by mprev »

dingaling wrote: post #37
porphyrogene wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does Heathrow bear a resposibility to prove anything to you or any other random person on the internet? You seem to be insinuating some conspiracy by asking vague questions.

They do have a responsibility to intending passengers who are being inconvenienced and put out of pocket solely on the basis of a corporation being over-reactive. There's really no disadvantage to airport authorities acting like this and only positives for them in protecting themselves from financial risk in the case that there is a drone. Plus, perhaps new powers will be passed that prevent them having to actually i…

How can you say there’s no disadvantage?

Even if their contracts with airlines don’t lead to penalties then an airport that gains a reputation for drone shutdowns will lose passenger and airline business over time.

Re: Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

#58

Post by morsch »

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #41
quasse wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They arrested two people that they later admitted had nothing to do with the event in question. [1] What counterpoint are you making here? [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-46709353

What counterpoint am I making? I thought that it was perfectly obvious - that they had caught the previous person(s). I had not heard that they released them - I kind of quit paying attention once they made the arrests.

Maybe this anecdote will convince you to pay attention in the future.

Re: Drone Sighting Halts Departures at Heathrow Airport

#60

Post by viraptor »

lordnacho wrote: post #51
pj_mukh wrote: post #10

Just as in Gatwick before this, the police and the airport are not able to produce even grainy footage of a drone that is supposedly "buzzing" the tower. Gatwick reported "67 sightings", but couldn't confirm if some (all?) were their own drones [1]. And now Parliament is tabling new powers for the police [2]. Was there ever any evidence presented that there was ever a drone present? Is there any evidence that this wa…

Britain is covered in CCTV. Surely if there's a drone it will be visible in camera footage?

Yes, CCTVs in busy streets, sometimes in shop entrances. Not in Random places in the middle of an airport.
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