https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-46540592
A drone flying more than 20 times the allowed height came within 15m (50ft) of a Boeing 737 approaching a runway at Stansted Airport in Essex.
The plane was flying at 10,000ft (3km) and coming in to land on 17 August when the captain spotted the drone.
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Another drone/commercial aircraft incident, this one luckily only a 'near miss.'
The first officer stated that the drone passed under the aircraft with 'minimal separation.'
The drone was being operated well above the regulation altitude. The drone operator has not been identified.
I get it, but how massive was the drone? The story omits information that allows one to adequately suss the nature and extent of the risk that was involved and the nature and extent of the greater risk drones may pose to commercial aircraft.
Materially more so than a goose? Planes can, after all, withstand a certain amount of impacts....it's not as though they're made of balsa wood or paper.
Drones roughly like these...
...probably aren't a big deal.
Drones like these....
...most assuredly are.
I realize that "anything can happen," I don't dwell in the world of "what if XYZ unlike-or-rare-yet-possible event occurs." As Momma says of both risks and realities, "Are we talking about more than you can count with your fingers and toes?"
Birds can take out an engine so my guess is a hobby sized drone could as well. It would be unlikely to cause a crash, though. I’m less concerned about these accidental encounters and more concerned about how terrorists could use this. Could a drone like that carry enough explosives to take down a plane? I’m hoping it would be too difficult to maneuver the drone into the right position in time, but that is something that will just get easier as the technology improves.
Birds can take out an engine so my guess is a hobby sized drone could as well. It would be unlikely to cause a crash, though. I’m less concerned about these accidental encounters and more concerned about how terrorists could use this. Could a drone like that carry enough explosives to take down a plane? I’m hoping it would be too difficult to maneuver the drone into the right position in time, but that is something that will just get easier as the technology improves.
Red:
That's a very fair concern...I suspect, tech improvement or not, it's only a matter of time before that happens....I mean, really...How much explosive does the thing need to carry? Surely not that much to blow a hole in a wing, which is where the jet fuel is.
If you've seen the movie 'Hurt Locker,' the size & weight of blocks of C-4 explosive would be well within the lifting capability of even a modest sized drone.
I haven't seen that film (and let's be honest: anything's possible in a movie), but I didn't need to to know that a half pound to a pound is well within the lifting/carrying capability of small, non-military-grade drones ranging from some "beginner-grade" ones to purposely "heavy lift" ones, none of which are inordinately pricey or difficult to operate. One drone can certainly carry enough. Several drones can be used on concert to do even more damage.
I bought it from Amazon Prime & have it saved on my tablet. Great flick.
The blocks of C-4 they were handling were not much bigger than a pack of cigs. There would have to be some kind of detonator system. 'Tickler' switches of one type have one conductor being a pendulum inside a ring of the other conductor. Any disturbance swings the pendulum against the ring & closes the circuit.
Twice last summer here (B.C.) drones being flown illegaly forced fire-fighting to stop.
I've never approved of over-regulation of human behaviour but those individuals deserve an uncomfortable prison holiday.
I get it, but how massive was the drone? The story omits information that allows one to adequately suss the nature and extent of the risk that was involved and the nature and extent of the greater risk drones may pose to commercial aircraft.
Materially more so than a goose? Planes can, after all, withstand a certain amount of impacts....it's not as though they're made of balsa wood or paper.
Drones roughly like these...
...probably aren't a big deal.
Drones like these....
...most assuredly are.
I realize that "anything can happen," I don't dwell in the world of "what if XYZ unlike-or-rare-yet-possible event occurs." As Momma says of both risks and realities, "Are we talking about more than you can count with your fingers and toes?"
I get it, but how massive was the drone? The story omits information that allows one to adequately suss the nature and extent of the risk that was involved and the nature and extent of the greater risk drones may pose to commercial aircraft.
Materially more so than a goose? Planes can, after all, withstand a certain amount of impacts....it's not as though they're made of balsa wood or paper.
Drones roughly like these...
...probably aren't a big deal.
Drones like these....
...most assuredly are.
I realize that "anything can happen," I don't dwell in the world of "what if XYZ unlike-or-rare-yet-possible event occurs." As Momma says of both risks and realities, "Are we talking about more than you can count with your fingers and toes?"
Off-topic:
I'm surprised we haven't seen a huge spate of drone-obtained paparazzi images of celebrities "doing their thing."
Then again, perhaps there have been, and I just don't know it....I'm not exactly a "celebrity news" follower.
I bought it from Amazon Prime & have it saved on my tablet. Great flick.
The blocks of C-4 they were handling were not much bigger than a pack of cigs. There would have to be some kind of detonator system. 'Tickler' switches of one type have one conductor being a pendulum inside a ring of the other conductor. Any disturbance swings the pendulum against the ring & closes the circuit.
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