Hard to gauge the damage done by this event.. I’m sure others will have watched the press hatchet job portraying drone flyers as the cause of all evil...
https://youtu.be/0ak5QZb0JAk

so much money, time and so many agencies and government officials and they cant do anything about it or locate anyone nor can they seem to take these drones down nor been able to successfully chase one yet, they lost it when they tried to follow it with helicopter.
     
but yet they look down on us in the drone community.... and they are supposed to be the leaders and the capable ones.   


also seems suspicious how incapable they seem to be

23 hour shut down. What type of batteries does these drones have and where can I get one.

The biggest backlash of this will be the public perception of drone users, and this won’t be fixed anytime soon, there are many idiots out there that think they should have the freedom to fly their drones anywhere they like, and although this was not the case here, those who choose with permission to fly anywhere they please will undoubtedly bring the house down on the rest of us, so it maybe time for those who fly by the rules set down for their countries to have a say in this about the complete idiots who think they are above the rest of us.
Time for the majority to be heard, let the idiots do what they do, a fool and his drone will soon be parted.

Anyone who chooses to fly how and where he likes without a care for his fellowman is a complete idiot, Full Stop.

Karma will come upon these folk.

I don't think HMG will use this to add any more legislation than they were planning to do.
The drone registration and basic competency tests will weed out most of the idiots as it is too much trouble to go to and they tend to have the attention span of a goldfish.
However as noted it won't stop anyone intent on cause ing trouble. (you just steal a drone from a legitimate user etc.)

The drones at Gatwick seem to be part of an organised thing. You can't legislate for that and the UK has been fighting terrorists for about 60 years and knows that.  So I can't see any draconian measures.   

Also I expect when (it's not "if" ) they are caught they will get a very heavy sentence.

BTW there are plenty of drone kits out there and people legitimate selling modules to make your own drone along with the free open source control SW. A lot of the drone racers I believe do this  as I understand they have to rebuild after almost every other race :-)

BTW "shooting them down" is not an option. and most other signal blocking defences  aren't either.

Does anybody know which drone was it???
From the only pic released it looks like a UFO

Fly safely
Alex

It appears that two suspects have been arrested Gatwick Arrests

Under British law they are innocent until proven guilty, but if they are guilty, I hope that they receive their full FIVE YEARS

HereForTheBeer Posted at 12-21 05:09
so much money, time and so many agencies and government officials and they cant do anything about it or locate anyone nor can they seem to take these drones down nor been able to successfully chase one yet, they lost it when they tried to follow it with helicopter.
     
but yet they look down on us in the drone community.... and they are supposed to be the leaders and the capable ones.   

2 arrest's have been made which is great! The damage to reputation of responsible drone flyers can't be underestimated. There will be less public tolerance for responsible pilots as a result of those mindless idiots.

Celsus Posted at 12-21 20:51
2 arrest's have been made which is great! The damage to reputation of responsible drone flyers can't be underestimated. There will be less public tolerance for responsible pilots as a result of those mindless idiots.

Let’s hope these are the people behind it and they get their faces dragged threw the mud and gravel and not the drone community with over arching regulations and demands and demonization.

Celsus Posted at 12-21 20:51
2 arrest's have been made which is great! The damage to reputation of responsible drone flyers can't be underestimated. There will be less public tolerance for responsible pilots as a result of those mindless idiots.

Yep - they're facing five years behind bars.

Celsus Posted at 12-21 20:51
2 arrest's have been made which is great! The damage to reputation of responsible drone flyers can't be underestimated. There will be less public tolerance for responsible pilots as a result of those mindless idiots.

There hasn't been much damage to the UK drone community.  No one was killed.

These people are probably not idiots but likely to be environmental protesters or similar trying to stop people generating lots of green house gasses on " unnecessary"  flights etc who carefully planed this protest.  It just happens that they used a drone.

(OTOH it could be a couple of mindless idiots but unlikely )

Had they used firearms would the US be calling for the banning of firearms?

So two adults have been arrested and have been questioned on suspicion of disrupting civil aviation. Specifically  "to endanger or likely to endanger safety of operations or persons". So regardless of actual motive this is what they could be charged with once the police have enough corroborating evidence to bring a case. The police are currently still gathering information.

Once the eye of the press shifts to 'motive' it will be less about 'drone attacks' and more about the slow deployment of available counter measures. Like everything in the UK at the moment involving legislation and action - the bogeyman of Brexit will and is already being wheeled on stage. In fact it started right away on the actual day of the initial airport incursions - parliament had already closed for Christmas, but the House of Lords was still sitting and an 'urgent motion' was tabled for the Government Minister in charge to give a statement - which she did and said it was too early to say anymore, and as it was now 'a police matter' she could not say more anyway. So there's a political dimension to this - extending to actions or inaction by the relevant transport ministers charged with overall responsibility. The crappy part is as far as responsible drone operators are concerned, is that the UK legislation is currently right in the middle of the consultation period - so those more punitive and restrictive clauses such as 'on the spot fines' etc. are now more likely to be pushed into being part of the raft of UAV laws.

A CW Posted at 12-22 01:10
Yep - they're facing five years behind bars.

Authorities may have arrested wrong people.   Paul Gait's boss John Allard has come forwards saying Paul was busy working at time.  

Then there is this part: "It is believed the equipment being used is highly sensitive and has been used on the battlefield."

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 12-22 21:54
Authorities may have arrested wrong people.   Paul Gait's boss John Allard has come forwards saying Paul was busy working at time.  

Then there is this part: "It is believed the equipment being used is highly sensitive and has been used on the battlefield."

Not good! Seems they want anyone then just to get closure on this mess. Hope they don't pick me LOL I'll sue if they do

A CW Posted at 12-23 01:36
Not good! Seems they want anyone then just to get closure on this mess. Hope they don't pick me LOL I'll sue if they do

Bothers me that authorities most likely just ruined lives of two people, due to incompetency.
Watch the pair, follow the pair, check them out.  Interview them, but do so without flaunting them before public via Hyping Press.

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 12-23 21:01
Bothers me that authorities most likely just ruined lives of two people, due to incompetency.
Watch the pair, follow the pair, check them out.  Interview them, but do so without flaunting them before public via Hyping Press.

I just hope that they can get a decent lawyer and that they sue the butts off the tabloid press and get proper compensation for this gross injustice. You are correct HedgeTrimmer, two lives ruined by media hype and incompetent authorities   

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 12-23 21:01
Bothers me that authorities most likely just ruined lives of two people, due to incompetency.
Watch the pair, follow the pair, check them out.  Interview them, but do so without flaunting them before public via Hyping Press.

That is a growing culture here I am sorry to say - guilty by media until proved innocent by law and by then the damage to personal credibility is irrevocable.

A CW Posted at 12-24 01:25
That is a growing culture here I am sorry to say - guilty by media until proved innocent by law and by then the damage to personal credibility is irrevocable.

The media - in fact the owners of those rags should be fined directly - they were in breach of the law. The most specious commentary made today by one of these 'low lifes' was that thanks to their 'work' the police were able to find the 2 innocent quicker. Stacking themselves up as being for the truth and the greater good. As drone operators I think we need some collective representation - so far the NODE initiative from DJI seems to be in the long grass. Being a member of the BMFA for a couple of years now and UAV interest is next to zero - in fact I'd say 'drones' are tolerated more than celebrated.

Lamplighter55 Posted at 12-24 02:01
The media - in fact the owners of those rags should be fined directly - they were in breach of the law. The most specious commentary made today by one of these 'low lifes' was that thanks to their 'work' the police were able to find the 2 innocent quicker. Stacking themselves up as being for the truth and the greater good. As drone operators I think we need some collective representation - so far the NODE initiative from DJI seems to be in the long grass. Being a member of the BMFA for a couple of years now and UAV interest is next to zero - in fact I'd say 'drones' are tolerated more than celebrated.

I agree but even if you successfully sued them and made a couple of hundred grand they will still make millions at your expense - I guess that is why they will do it until real consequences are put in place but then the age old rights not to silence the media will come into play and the fear of a draconian state manipulating propaganda even worse than we see today - it's a no win situation.
Anyway, I've just returned from flying my Inspire for a solid hour this moirning and nobody approached me - I'm not letting the actions of a few criminals ground me.

A CW Posted at 12-24 01:25
That is a growing culture here I am sorry to say - guilty by media until proved innocent by law and by then the damage to personal credibility is irrevocable.

No different over here in U.S.   Media in their rush to make headlines, assails some person(s) that later turn out to be innocent.  Any clearing of person(s) name or reputation is at best a buried minuscule retraction.

Boffin Posted at 12-23 21:14
I just hope that they can get a decent lawyer and that they sue the butts off the tabloid press and get proper compensation for this gross injustice. You are correct HedgeTrimmer, two lives ruined by media hype and incompetent authorities

I also hope the couple sues.  Sadly, unless they have deep pockets to fund lawsuit by A-Team lawyers, they are likely to loose in court.  Media has Millions of dollars to spend on Legal-warfare.   They could be in court for a decade, all time their lives are tattered and reputations tarnished.  

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 12-24 15:24
I also hope the couple sues.  Sadly, unless they have deep pockets to fund lawsuit by A-Team lawyers, they are likely to loose in court.  Media has Millions of dollars to spend on Legal-warfare.   They could be in court for a decade, all time their lives are tattered and reputations tarnished.

It's clear the whole episode has been managed poorly, ministers have called the handling of the episode a mess. Reputation damaged for everyone involved in this sad state of affairs.

I once sued an a-hole for defamation on the net. Was awarded $70,000 for damages and the a-hole also wore the costs for the very expensive brief that travelled from Melbourne to represent my case.
Judge remarked that this was his first Internet case but possibly not his last -  How prophetic was that remark! (almost 20 years ago)

Sadly there seems to be a general public dislike for anything associated with drone flying in the UK and now this has been made worse by this farrago of events. Now the government security minister is going all 'guns a blazing' about deploying anti drone tech 'throughout the country'  (not just specifically at airports!). https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-46676762

To quote:
"Mr Wallace said: "The huge proliferation of such devices, coupled with the challenges of deploying military counter measures into a civilian environment, means there are no easy solutions.
"However, I can say that we are able to now deploy detection systems throughout the UK to combat this threat."
This is how a freedom is taken away - when language is used by a politician and sloppy news reporting to subtlety bend people's thoughts into congruence. Ergo 'Threat = drone' and visa versa.

HedgeTrimmer Posted at 12-24 15:20
No different over here in U.S.   Media in their rush to make headlines, assails some person(s) that later turn out to be innocent.  Any clearing of person(s) name or reputation is at best a buried minuscule retraction.

Sounds all too familiar mate - there does need to be tougher controls over media

[ Last edited by *** In 2021-3-3 04:46 Editor ]\n\n***************

If you didn't get anything in your sock this year .... reason

It's gone all quiet about the incident.

Wonder why.

Me thinks serious Gatwick systems failure caused an MI5 cover up ... using alleged drones as a deflection.

Woe Posted at 2018-12-21 05:22
23 hour shut down. What type of batteries does these drones have  and where can I get one.

if you find a 23 hour battery send one my way

Alex B. Posted at 2018-12-21 18:27
Does anybody know which drone was it???
From the only pic released it looks like a UFO

or a bird,

TC KABREW Posted at 1-1 13:58
if you find a 23 hour battery send one my way

You got it.

Woe Posted at 1-1 17:36
You got it.

You could always ask the police drone pilot's which batteries they used to cause complete airport shutdown and communication systems. Left hand didnt know what the right hand was doing.

M2Wair Posted at 1-1 17:42
You could always ask the police drone pilot's which batteries they used to cause complete airport shutdown and communication systems. Left hand didnt know what the right hand was doing.

Not a bad idea.