Drones over Gatwick

[krugerandsmith]

On 20/12/2018 at 10:44, silver pigeon69 said:

Could this be "intentional"? Low level terrorist activity? Bit of a coincidence with a few of them flying about closing the airport??

Could this be like the Chicago 0'Hare Airport .... UFO ? 😎.  Hmm

[walshie]

2 hours ago, andrewluke said:

who said it should make a difference??

No-one said it should. Sad fact is today's courts do take that mumbo-jumbo into consideration instead of punishing the crimes for what they are - crimes. 

Edited December 22, 2018 by walshie

[Newbie to this]

Who needs a shotgun, this method works just fine.

 

 

[Kalahari]

22 hours ago, Harnser said:

Not quite right sir .  Nothing can free fall faster than terminal velocity . Many objects can fall slower than terminal Velocity depending on shape and size .

harnset

Sorry, did my degree in physics, I am afraid I am right. If your theory was right a fighter jet couldn't break the sound barrier in a dive and that is demonstrably false. I agree nothing can fall faster than terminal velocity, but terminal velocity is not fixed. It is a variable dependent on g, drag and the aerodynamic properties of the falling object.

 

David.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Kalahari

[hambone]

1 hour ago, Newbie to this said:

Who needs a shotgun, this method works just fine.

 

Now we know how to bring down the 90 yard birds ….. I gave it Andrex both barrels don't you know  🤣🤣

 

[kenholland]

give that man a roll of honour , that was some shot.

[sportsbob]

1 minute ago, kenholland said:

give that man a roll of honour , that was some shot.

It thought it was a roll of toilet paper 😀

[KB1]

11 minutes ago, Kalahari said:

Sorry, did my degree in physics, I am afraid I am right. If your theory was right a fighter jet couldn't break the sound barrier in a dive and that is demonstrably false. I agree nothing can fall faster than terminal velocity, but terminal velocity is not fixed. It is a variable dependent on g, drag and the aerodynamic properties of the falling object.

 

David.

Terminal velocity is 'fixed' in as much as it is each objects 'Terminal' velocity (In whatever specific conditions), regardless of the variable speeds.  The clue is in the word "Terminal"☺️

[Mice!]

20 hours ago, Munzy said:

Had our roof redone last year and the roofer arrived to quote with a small (1.5ft diameter) drone. He unlocked his iPhone, opened the drone’s app, clicked a button and up came a satellite map of where we were stood. He drew a flight path around the roof, dropped a couple of markers over each chimney and then entered a desired altitude. Then he clicked “Go”. The thing took off, went off on its programmed journey with no controller, hovered over the chimneys and then circled them and then came back and landed in the same spot. The roofer left with HD video footage of the roof and chimneys and I had a detailed quote the next day.

His drone cost £450 from a high street store. I assume there was nothing stopping him paying cash.

Now, as I understand it my roofers drone could do everything that this Gatwick drone seems to have done but perhaps his had less battery life AND would need to have the software reflashed to remove GPS restricted areas. My brother-in-law who is a drone nerd tells me that you can download the required software and instructions to remove the GPS restrictions for all popular drone models from the popular drone enthusiast forums for free.

There is no restriction to someone continuing this stunt other than how much it costs them. Therefore I maintain the best thing to do is ensure that every airport has a shotgun at the ready and they blast these things out of the sky. Ok, you don’t catch the operator but so what, they won’t keep buying new drones.

I didn't realise that the drones available were that clever, certainly sounds a lot easier than having a look from a ladder.

I'm sure they said on the news that there were 50 sightings of drones so one or more than one?

let's guess that this drone is a decent one £1000-2k, I'm guessing here, loose one of those and us ordinary folk are going to be gutted, someone deliberately trying to disrupt an airport could have several of these flying circuits and not care less about the cost.

as for shooting them down, how about something mounted high up with fire zones programmed in, so firing into the ground, if ships can shoot down incoming missiles how hard can a drone be? Just not with a shotgun.

[Mighty Ruler]

The boss of the bloke who was arrested says he was working at the time. I haven’t read anywhere that this couple have been charged but they have had their faces splashed all over the place, reminds of the Christopher Jeffries case.

[ordnance]

Quote

 

as for shooting them down, how about something mounted high up with fire zones programmed in, so firing into the ground, if ships can shoot down incoming missiles how hard can a drone be? Just not with a shotgun.

 

Ships shoot down incoming missiles using Phalanx CIWS and similar, i can't see them appearing at UK airports. 

 

[Mice!]

10 minutes ago, ordnance said:

Ships shoot down incoming missiles using Phalanx CIWS and similar, i can't see them appearing at UK airports. 

 

Why not? Given how much this will have cost, and how easily it could happen again then something will need to be done, on a smaller scale though.

[ordnance]

Quote

Why not? Given how much this will have cost, and how easily it could happen again then something will need to be done, on a smaller scale though.

 

You want me to say why a radar controlled Minigun designed to shoot down aircraft etc, on a airfield might not be a good idea. 

 

 

 

[Kalahari]

1 hour ago, KB1 said:

Terminal velocity is 'fixed' in as much as it is each objects 'Terminal' velocity (In whatever specific conditions), regardless of the variable speeds.  The clue is in the word "Terminal"☺️

Yes but the original statement was that it was a fixed speed for any item. Drop a feather and a dart and have a look. It is an experiment easily repeated and the results will be the same each time.

 

David.

Edited December 22, 2018 by Kalahari

[KB1]

1 hour ago, Mice! said:

I didn't realise that the drones available were that clever, certainly sounds a lot easier than having a look from a ladder.

I'm sure they said on the news that there were 50 sightings of drones so one or more than one?

let's guess that this drone is a decent one £1000-2k, I'm guessing here, loose one of those and us ordinary folk are going to be gutted, someone deliberately trying to disrupt an airport could have several of these flying circuits and not care less about the cost.

as for shooting them down, how about something mounted high up with fire zones programmed in, so firing into the ground, if ships can shoot down incoming missiles how hard can a drone be? Just not with a shotgun.

I bought a Blade Chroma drone from Maplins about 3 years ago, and use it for surveying at work.  They are technically quite sophisticated but ridiculously easy to fly.  The factory set limitations can be changed by downloading the software and plugging into your computer, which in effect means that someone could be sat in their back garden more than half a mile away from the airport, and still have control. The onboard camera is all you need to see where your going.  I'm all for the laws being brought in, as these things in the wrong hands will one day wreak havoc.

9 minutes ago, Kalahari said:

Yes but the original statement was that it was a fixed speed for any item. Drop a feather and a dart and have a look. It is an experiment easily repeated and the results will be the same each time.

 

David.

Yes I know, each will achieve its terminal velocity😁

[silver pigeon69]

[Kalahari]

5 minutes ago, KB1 said:

I bought a Blade Chroma drone from Maplins about 3 years ago, and use it for surveying at work.  They are technically quite sophisticated but ridiculously easy to fly.  The factory set limitations can be changed by downloading the software and plugging into your computer, which in effect means that someone could be sat in their back garden more than half a mile away from the airport, and still have control. The onboard camera is all you need to see where your going.  I'm all for the laws being brought in, as these things in the wrong hands will one day wreak havoc.

Yes I know, each will achieve its terminal velocity😁

That was my point, it varies from object to object, not about 125mph which was something like the number mentioned.

 

David.

[ordnance]

Quote

The onboard camera is all you need to see where your going.  I'm all for the laws being brought in, as these things in the wrong hands will one day wreak havoc.

That was the same argument was used to restrict and ban firearms , penalise the many law abiding citizens because of the illegal activities of a few. And it will have the same result criminals will still obtain them and use them illegally.  

Edited December 22, 2018 by ordnance

[Mice!]

10 minutes ago, ordnance said:

 

You want me to say why a radar controlled Minigun designed to shoot down aircraft etc, on a airfield might not be a good idea. 

 

 

 

They could set something up which physically can't target the run way, but covers the approaching area, something that has to be physically activated in an emergency such as an idiot flying a drone onto the airfield, this could easily happen every week crippling aviation, I'm only surprised it hasn't happened before either for a demonstration or act of terrorism.

[KB1]

2 hours ago, Kalahari said:

but terminal velocity is not fixed

I got your point, but just felt like pointing out that the above phrase didnt quite fit with your Physics degree😁Much love xx

[Bazooka Joe]

Quote

They could set something up which physically can't target the run way, but covers the approaching area, something that has to be physically activated in an emergency such as an idiot flying a drone onto the airfield,

Has a back stop not crossed your mind...

[Mice!]

49 minutes ago, Bazooka Joe said:

Has a back stop not crossed your mind...

That's why i said above set up high firing into the ground 😉 

[Bazooka Joe]

6 minutes ago, Mice! said:

That's why i said above set up high firing into the ground 😉 

Non starter then isn't it.

The minuscule area it would cover just wouldn't be worth it, + factor in ground staff/security/maintenance workers etc it's a definite no no....

[KB1]

1 hour ago, ordnance said:

That was the same argument was used to restrict and ban firearms , penalise the many law abiding citizens because of the illegal activities of a few. And it will have the same result criminals will still obtain them and use them illegally.  

Its a tad different. We are vetted before being allowed to own firearms; anyone can buy a drone🙄  I own both, and I'm happy to be governed to a sensible degree if it helps to stop idiots like those at Gatwick.

[grrclark]

33 minutes ago, Mice! said:

That's why i said above set up high firing into the ground 😉 

Something high up that can shoot down onto a drone that may fly at several hundred metres high, on an airfield.  Don't you think that these gun towers might present something of hindrance to the normal operation of an airfield where really tall things are generally very frowned upon?

Some of the comments on this thread are ridiculous, something like 1600 acres and we could police the skies above the airfield with shotguns.  A line of 400 guns down each perimeter fence i think was suggested working 8 hour shifts, gun loaded and held in the hip watching and waiting for 8 hours????

You get one decent crack at the target, providing it flies lower than 60 yards or so and then it is past the line of guns, of course knowing there is a line of 400 crack shots who'll nut the target out the sky the operator might just choose to fly it over the fence at 3000yds high, maybe even hover there for a few moments to taunt the guns then fly off to do their disruptive work.  Having regularly watched pheasants that are considerably bigger and slower then a drone flying across a line of guns at 30m and soar on by to freedom I'm not so sure that this approach would work.

The phalanx like mini gun is a definite contender though, have multiple autonomous radar operated machine guns around the periphery of airports that back onto logistics yards, warehouses, maintenance hangers, airline support services, hire car depots, car parks, public transport links, roads and motorways, hotels, offices, fields full of livestock, car parks full of plane spotters, etc  loosing off 20,000 rounds per minute safe in the knowledge that nothing could possibly go wrong with that scenario.  

Of course knowing that all these mega machine guns are poised to take down that drone within the periphery fence of the airport then maybe the disruptive types will just fly their drones on the landing or take off flight paths when the aircraft are flying above areas of high density housing and still within a perfectly accessible altitude for these drones.  Phalanx machine guns might not go down so well if in your back garden.