Gatwick airport closed due drone reported in area

[Phill2]

Well this story was just covered on the national news here in Canada. The report said the airport will remain grounded until authorities have confirmed these drones are grounded. When the video link is added to their site i will share it.
Gatwick airport, Britain’s 2nd busiest airport, completely shuts down — because of drones

On the news down here in Oz too

 

[Phill2]

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.

You must be in Oz
I saw it last night too

 

[loadpin]

Great job, here is the latest.. 2 arrested for drone use in London Gatwick Airport case. I hope they put them in a dungeon where they belong.

 

[StephenHopes]

I foresee more restrictions in the near future. Thank you idiot with a drone. Hope you post your amazing footage on youtube and get visited by the police.

Gatwick drone arrests: two people held over disruption of airport

 

[shegeek72]

Rather than stopping flights why not use a shot-gun to bring them down?

They considered bringing in a sniper, but decided against it due to proximity to the public and employees. Similar reason why they didn't use drone jammers due to other wireless communications and equipment in the area.

 

[Mimoid]

It was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the air traffic to and from Gatwick by "environmental activists", using four drones hovering directly above each of the runways.

Unfortunately I am quite sure this will have a very strong impact on the upcoming EASA regulations. The "no drone flying outside your own house" regulation was just recently lifted here in Sweden, I guess we will soon see something like that again...

 

[African wildlife]

The two people arrested are apparently a man and a woman, local to the Gatwick area.

A witness saw a man in his 30s on Thursday evening on a country lane near the airport, wearing high-vis clothing and with a bicycle, frantically packing away two drones - one about 4ft and the other about 2ft. The arrested couple might be "eco warriors" against the planned expansion of Gatwick airport.

Edited to add: Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to wear high-vis fluorescent clothing.

 

[dreddman]

Idiots.......Protest where you want but don't endanger other people....... I guess those fools wont be having a very merry Christmas ......................

 

[African wildlife]

The woman arrested has just been identified:

(For anyone outside of the UK who doesn't recognise the woman - head, if not the rest of the body - is Prime Minister Theresa May who has been having a difficult time getting her Brexit plan approved.)

 

[J&W]

That was considered, but rejected because of the danger from the stray bullets.

Shoot bean bags like they do at riots

 

[Alex in Devon]

Of course these idiots should be locked p and they keys thrown away, but for the sake of discussion....

Are the rules in the UK to slack? I imagine that someone flying a drone at 350 feet and 1.1 km from a major airfield could cause havoc to the airfield operations. But could such flying be claimed legal?

I am a DJI drone flyer, happily nowhere near an airport, but I believe that it would be better for DJI to ensure that geo-fencing could not be switched off else HMG will come in with totally over-the -top rules and regulations.

Could drones not be fitted with a unique electronic identifier broadcast and monitored whilst the drone motors are turning?

 

[Drestin Black]

I haven’t read any of the posts or the articles but I noticed people seem concerned about something going on at Gatwick, and I happened to be nearby so I took my drone up to check and see what’s up ... everything looks unusually quiet at the airport itself, took a couple shots as I flew over and all around looking for whatever was the actual matter. Lots of police just outside buzzing around though, some are coming my way, I’ll ask them what’s up and let ya all know ...

 

[Avidyne]

Just heard they caught the two guys

 

[Deleted member 99081]

Two people (a man and a woman) were arrested on Friday night, in the Gatwick area, on suspicion of "criminal drone use". As of now, they are being questioned, but not charged yet. UK law allows for a maximum jail sentence of up to 5 years and unlimited fines, or both, if someone is convicted.

 

[Deleted member 99081]

I haven’t read any of the posts or the articles but I noticed people seem concerned about something going on at Gatwick, and I happened to be nearby so I took my drone up to check and see what’s up ... everything looks unusually quiet at the airport itself, took a couple shots as I flew over and all around looking for whatever was the actual matter. Lots of police just outside buzzing around though, some are coming my way, I’ll ask them what’s up and let ya all know ...

View attachment 106590

Let's hope that's a joke (see above).

 

[FlyingUser]

Gatwick drone arrests: two people held over disruption of airport

Glad it's over. Because of such actions regulations will likely tighten around the world and manufacturer's buggy(!!) NFZ limitations will not go away.

 

[PJC5301]

Wow! You are all jumping straight on the Government storyline..
This has ALL the attributes of a FALSE FLAG ATTACK. They are wanting to get public opinion right behind something about a restriction coming up. Maybe a total ban on privately owned Drones.


Wow! You are either very adept at satire or you wear a tin foil hat to bed

That is BEING DONE ON PURPOSE to stop it happening, saw that a year ago. The black government does not want it to happen. Cheltenham has the headquarters of the UK/US European dirty tricks dept. and close to the HQ of the SAS who do it for them.

Wow!! Hard to process that.

 

[landmannnn]

Hopefully as (with most) eco-warriors they have large trust funds, 5 years in prison and several millions in fines.

 

[wa5tef]

Events like this only gives more tools for the "do gooders" to try to totally ban drone flying by everyone, whether the vast majority of us would not think of flying near an airport, there are always a scant few who cannot resist the chance to make a statement. Nothing like punishing the innocent to get to the guilty. Haven't we heard that before?

Thanks,
Jim
WA5TEF

 

[Deleted member 99081]

Edited to add: Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to wear high-vis fluorescent clothing.

My very thought, too. He (and she) will hopefully have a long time to reflect (pun intended) on that sartorial faux pas.