Drones at Gatwick, and elswhere, ongoing.

UndercoverElephant · Post by **UndercoverElephant** » 21 Dec 2018, 17:40

I reckon its is part of the Extinction Rebellion protest.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 21 Dec 2018, 18:28

I expect that the police with the help of the military will get the operators of the drones in custody PDQ and then we will know their motivation and purpose.

Post by **adam2** » 21 Dec 2018, 18:29

Gatwick now closed again due to a suspected drone sighting at about 17-10 today.

Edit to state time of drone sighting was about 17-10 and not 17-30 as I initially reported

Edited again to add that the closure to which I refer above was brief with normal service resumed within a couple of hours.

Post by **adam2** » 21 Dec 2018, 18:33

UndercoverElephant wrote:I reckon its is part of the Extinction Rebellion protest.

They have denied that this is of their doing, but they might not be telling the truth.
Or it might be some other group with broadly similar aims.

Another possibility might be simple criminal extortion.
"Give me £XX million, or I will close your airport"
Money not paid, and airport closed.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 21 Dec 2018, 18:52

Is it possible to identify the owners/operators of a drone?

The argument about relative efficiencies is a cop-out. Flying should not be subsidised and FF transport of any sort should be phased out yesterday anyway.

Post by **adam2** » 21 Dec 2018, 19:05

emordnilap wrote:Is it possible to identify the owners/operators of a drone?

The argument about relative efficiencies is a cop-out. Flying should not be subsidised and FF transport of any sort should be phased out yesterday anyway.

No, the owner or operator of a drone cant be easily identified. If someone intends to use a drone illegally they would presumably take care not to be identifiable.
Drones may be purchased for cash, or the larger and expensive industrial models can be stolen by normal burglary techniques.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 22 Dec 2018, 16:03

As I expected.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/8042572/g ... t-spotted/
Two have been arrested.

Post by **adam2** » 23 Dec 2018, 13:53

The two persons arrested are now said to be no longer suspects, and have been released without charge.

This of course implies that the actual perpetrators are still at large and able to repeat the exercise, perhaps at another airport.

Potemkin Villager · Post by **Potemkin Villager** » 23 Dec 2018, 14:42

Indeed this implies there is zilch intelligence on the genesis of this which only leaves the "round up all the usual suspects" option. None of this stops the press making up all sorts of stories.

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 24 Dec 2018, 12:37

Those released are surly being monitored very closely.

Post by **adam2** » 24 Dec 2018, 13:04

vtsnowedin wrote:Those released are surly being monitored very closely.

Possibly, it depends on the views of the police.
If the police believe that the suspects WERE involved, but that no proof or reliable evidence existed, then they would be monitored in the hope of gathering such evidence.

If however the police believe that the initial suspects were completely innocent, then there is no reason to monitor them.

Little John · Post by **Little John** » 24 Dec 2018, 13:44

Police are now reported as saying they are no longer certain there have been any drone incursions now.

You couldn't make this shit up

Post by **adam2** » 24 Dec 2018, 13:59

The earlier statement by the police that there might not in fact have been any drone activity, has now been stated as being due to "miscommunication"

Whatever the actual facts turn out to be, TPTB have not exactly covered themselves with glory.

My personal suspicion is that there WAS SOME illegal drone activity, probably by environmental or anti airport groups.
The situation then developed into hysteria with every large bird, pizza box, or plastic bag observed in the air near the airport becoming another drone sighting.

If my supposition is correct, I bet that the original perpetrators are delighted with the scale of the disruption caused, probably far in excess of that hoped for.

News report
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46670714

BritDownUnder · Post by **BritDownUnder** » 25 Dec 2018, 07:25

The great American President F D Roosevelt once said you have nothing to fear but fear itself. Often fear seems to be created out of nothing. I often think the Old Bill needs to read this whilst being subjected to neo-Pavlovian conditioning techniques (possibly electric shocks) so that they don't start an incident just for the sake of it and to spread panic and justify themselves employment.

I am thinking of when there is a motorway incident why the opposite lane always seems to get closed by a large number of police etc etc.

boisdevie · Post by **boisdevie** » 08 Jan 2019, 18:19

Drone reported at Heathrow. All inbound flights stopped. Outbound flights going for now.