Gatwick airport closed due drone reported in area

They're called shotguns because they fire "shot", not bullets.

Well actually they could fire slugs too but those won't be much use against a bird/drone.

Shotgun - Wikipedia

Handgun bullets have been shown not to possess sufficient energy to hurt anyone when falling from altitude. Moreso the tumbly little NATO bullets of which that Register article speaks when fired seventy degrees up over the horizon. Unless of course someone's looking up at just the right moment and it puts their eye out. Slugs though, could weigh up to around an ounce so those could injure someone on the way down.

Thanks to Capposteve for the Register article. I like it mostly for teaching me "embuggerance". I already knew faff from my relatives north o' the border. And, well, who doesn't know plod by now...

I know nothing about the laws east of the Atlantic but it seems odd that certain branches of law enforcement - especially in this day of epic paranoia where we here in the 'States have to take our shoes off just to walk into a federal building - would not already have in place regulatory exemptions for jamming gear. And who gives a rat's rear if a drone dings someone's roofing or patio.

I hope at least this kerfluffle might wind up getting the authorities to come up with cohesive plans for addressing the menaces.


Stop with this nonsense -- a 230gn 45ACP slug falling at 'free-fall' or about 200mph+ (faster than a human would fall due to density/drag ratio) would most certainly hurt someone though the odds of it killing someone is very low. Ask yourself this: would you want someone to hit you in the head with a dense metallic object weighing 15 grams and twice as fast as Nolen Ryan could throw a fastball? Please stop posting nonsense.


Brian
 
Interesting enough, @Bad Andy says hand gun bullets can't hurt when falling from altitude, but I have seen people die from stray hand gun bullets falling from the sky on new years.
 
Why hasnt anyone (police or otherwise) stepped up with another drone and chased this mofo down? Id think sacrificing drone vs drone is the best way to solve this. Fight fire with fire!
 
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Why don’t they use water canons? Surely that’s the safest and easiest way.
I think its abit too high for that. I think they should put out a request for responsible owners to take up positions in and around the airport, keep in radio communication with each other and chase that mofo to his landing spot, even if he is fast with superior battery life he cant out run everyone. Sooner or later he has to land.
 
Stop with this nonsense -- a 230gn 45ACP slug falling at 'free-fall' or about 200mph+ (faster than a human would fall due to density/drag ratio) would most certainly hurt someone though the odds of it killing someone is very low. Ask yourself this: would you want someone to hit you in the head with a dense metallic object weighing 15 grams and twice as fast as Nolen Ryan could throw a fastball? Please stop posting nonsense.


Brian

Nonsense?

Footage Shows Moment Man Hit By Stray Bullet at Kendall Party
 
I thought the net idea was great. Odds are the pilot is [hiding] beyond VLOS. A net dropper coming in from above isn't likely to be spotted.
 
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Yep, it’s all over the news here in the States too. Much depends on the reaction there in the UK to what lawmakers think here in the US about future regulations of drones and their operations.

Let’s hope this is only a isolated incident and no further issues occur.

It only takes one idiot like this to bring negative attention to our hobby all over the world. That negative public opinion is hard to overcome.
 
Yep, it’s all over the news here in the States too. Much depends on the reaction there in the UK to what lawmakers think here in the US about future regulations of drones and their operations.

Let’s hope this is only a isolated incident and no further issues occur.

It only takes one idiot like this to bring negative attention to our hobby all over the world. That negative public opinion is hard to overcome.
Amen to that!
 
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They can also use drones with thermal imaging cameras to try and locate *******. How hard can this be. Why aren’t decisions being made. The longer this goes on the more negative stories on the news about drones. Is it really that hard.
This is really in-freaking-credible!
 
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I fully understand them not wanting to take any action on the drone itself, for many safety reasons obvs, but that's really a smoke screen imo, they want to find this mofo and the best way is to let him fly and follow him home. He could have many drones and crashing one solves nothing, I hope they get him!!
 
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Almost certainly not a hobbyist, but a malicious actor. What surprises me is that the UK does not seem to have the capability of bringing these drones down!

I disagree, how hard can it be to bring down a drone or even find the drone operator. Knowing what type of drone and the range you can gauge the distance, put people on ground and eyes in the sky and nail this ****wad. What you have to question is the drone hater running this operation.
 
Yeah, I saw it on the TV news tonight about the London thing also showing some video footage of a Phantom puncturing a wing in a 238 mph test crash. Sort of puts to rest the idea a drone cannot do any damage and why they shut the airport down.

Phantom puncturing wing of aircraft.
 
Yep, it’s all over the news here in the States too. Much depends on the reaction there in the UK to what lawmakers think here in the US about future regulations of drones and their operations.

Let’s hope this is only a isolated incident and no further issues occur.

It only takes one idiot like this to bring negative attention to our hobby all over the world. That negative public opinion is hard to overcome.
This is probably the straw that broke the camels back. Sorry guys, game over for the hobby. Hope you all sell your stuff and don’t lose too much money.
 
Latest on our news in NZ he now called the ""dronewolve"" pItty that's a cool name
 

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