Drones

[Vagabond]

Any theories ? Terrorists ? Anti-new-runway "environmentalists" ? Mischievous geek doing it because he can ? Someone with a real or imagined grudge out to wreck the British economy ?

 

or.... If someone had just invented a system to protect airports from drone attacks, what better way to bring the problem to world attention and thus ensure a prosperous future for his product ? Come on Chesters, and the rest of you -- what do you think ?

[John S]

Aliens!

[snakey1]

Any theories ? Terrorists ? Anti-new-runway "environmentalists" ? Mischievous geek doing it because he can ? Someone with a real or imagined grudge out to wreck the British economy ?

 

or.... If someone had just invented a system to protect airports from drone attacks, what better way to bring the problem to world attention and thus ensure a prosperous future for his product ? Come on Chesters, and the rest of you -- what do you think ?

Signal blockers are already available and used elsewhere in the world, the UKs laws currently stop their use over here apparently. As for who it is considering a drones battery lasts about 1/2 hour someone's reasonably organised to keep doing it for a day and a half Edited December 21, 2018 by snakey1

[Steve Walker]

I think environmentalists probably, either protesting runway extension or climate change or both.

 

You can block the wireless range they use, but youd also take out wifi. You can block it very locally with a directional antenna, at which point they may land or autopilot back to base. Unless its flying a pre-programmed route, in which case it will ignore you. You may be able to hack it and take control. You can fry its electronics with microwaves or EMP, burn it with lasers or if it is low enough you can resort to good old fashioned high velocity lead shot.

 

Unless, it would appear, you are a British airport, in which case you have ignored all the warnings that this is a risk, are utterly unprepared, and must resort to trying to bring it down with harsh language. And be thankful that it wasnt carrying anything nastier than an obstruction.

[*Ant*]

I'm with John, gotta be aliens.

[Vagabond]

Yep, agree with Snakey (#3) and Steve (#4) The technology has been around for around a decade. That is what led to the suggestion in my final paragraph in #1 Whether the cause for the disinterest in airport protection was complacency, parsimony or sheer incompetence (or all three) whoever was responsible for keeping airports safe was not doing their job. At least one airport security chief agrees with me - he has just stated the adventure has done the air industry a favour in providing a wake-up call "without serious consequence" (well, no loss of life or injury - just over 100,000 thoroughly p*ssed-off would-be travelers)

 

Stop Press "Two arrests" but littler else since. I would advise against going bird-watching with binoculars in West Sussex in the immediate future

[chesters1]

I expect many companies are clammering for mandatory (and very lucrative) 'training' to fly a drone and more likely a mandatory (and lucrative) 'registration' scheme to own one .

Its still amazes me you can still get born without a licence but perhaps our mandatory registration (or being sold to the government more like) of birth is registration enough .

I would ban drones (for all including government bodies!) And make birth far more difficult ,perhaps mandatory birth control like the chinese method but it actually works

 

An amusing note our village council in their wisdom has made the village a drone free area (accordijg to a bit of paper on the village green notice board) ,what right has a load of councilors to stop people doing what they please on private land ,they are noisy little things but with 10 minutes or so flying time hardly a big impact on the place had i the interest i would buy one just to **** them off.i have already bumped heads with them over fishing ,once i pointed out the bit of land i was fishing from was bequeathed to the village for the enjoyment of the villagers they backed off ,flying a drone from there would be interesting and if they complain i would do it from the opposite bank on private land where they also tried to stop me detecting until the land owner threatened them with legal action ,poxy little turds who votes these arses in?

 

Not sure what use drones are most of the time ,the footage unless really high quality is pointless and flying one from your back garden only fun just the once surely? Its like me having a camera once you have a photo of everything interesting in my small area i can get to having one is pointless thats why it sits unused for months on a shelf lol

Edited December 22, 2018 by chesters1

[Martin56]

Had this happened say in Spain, the perpetrators would have been shot first - then questions asked later!!

 

"La Garde Civile" don't mess about.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Martin56

[Martin56]

When I was a kid, the sole purpose of a Drone was to fertilise the Queen Bee - then die!!

Edited December 22, 2018 by Martin56

[Steve Walker]

It has occurred to me that one would be a very useful tool in fishing a clear water gravel pit like Wingham. You could map out the bars and even find the bream.