More and more news about pilots supposedly identifying objects as drones within their flight path and/or landing approach.

Just amazes me how someone that is supposed to be concentrating on taking off or landing a plane doing somewhere around 110 to 120 miles an hour can identify anything that is the size of a bird so assuredly...

I could be wrong, but believe at least the most of them are full of crap!

Phil

Agreed. At 300-400 feet (two and a half to three wingspans of a 757) you cannot see or hear most consumer drones and that's even if you know they are there and where to look.

Equip all commercial air with 10kw jammer operating on RC freqs. Kicks on auto below 2000 AGL.

Except a lot of drones operate on wifi frequencies so you'd piss off a whole city's then.

Geofencing is coming for drones, that will fix a lot of the problems in that uav operators will be accountable for their actions. The other tech that will soon be useful is ads-b for drones. Google and others are working hard on this.

The unfortunate part is that the drone operators like myself who are licenced and responsible and following the rules are being lumped in with a few bad eggs.

quote:

The unfortunate part is that the drone operators like myself who are licenced and responsible and following the rules are being lumped in with a few bad eggs.

Tru Dat. Works like car insurance, the few of us who can drive subsidize the masses who can't operate a toaster.

quote:

Originally posted by Greyghost:
More and more news about pilots supposedly identifying objects as drones within their flight path and/or landing approach.

Just amazes me how someone that is supposed to be concentrating on taking off or landing a plane doing somewhere around 110 to 120 miles an hour can identify anything that is the size of a bird so assuredly...

I could be wrong, but believe at least the most of them are full of crap!

Phil

I never had a problem identifying the various kinds of birds I hit and flew though. Flew through a flock of sparrows in a C-130 at around 210 kts. Flew through a column of buzzards during approach in a T-1. Routinely identified hawks, buzzards, and sparrows in the T-38 as well as the T-1 and C-130.

I don't think most drones would be hard to identify as drones. Probably couldn't tell the make and model......

quote:

Originally posted by INTJ:

quote:

Originally posted by Greyghost:
More and more news about pilots supposedly identifying objects as drones within their flight path and/or landing approach.

Just amazes me how someone that is supposed to be concentrating on taking off or landing a plane doing somewhere around 110 to 120 miles an hour can identify anything that is the size of a bird so assuredly...

I could be wrong, but believe at least the most of them are full of crap!

Phil

I never had a problem identifying the various kinds of birds I hit and flew though. Flew through a flock of sparrows in a C-130 at around 210 kts. Flew through a column of buzzards during approach in a T-1. Routinely identified hawks, buzzards, and sparrows in the T-38 as well as the T-1 and C-130.

I don't think most drones would be hard to identify as drones. Probably couldn't tell the make and model......

Will an AIM-7 work on a drone?

A slammer maybe......

quote:

Originally posted by Greyghost:
More and more news about pilots supposedly identifying objects as drones within their flight path and/or landing approach.

Just amazes me how someone that is supposed to be concentrating on taking off or landing a plane doing somewhere around 110 to 120 miles an hour can identify anything that is the size of a bird so assuredly...

I could be wrong, but believe at least the most of them are full of crap!

Phil

Phil,

You are wrong on several issues here. First off there are not any commercial jet aircraft that will even fly at 110 or 120 MPH. Average rotation speed of swept wing jet airlines is more like 160+ MPH. Secondly, when we take off and land in visual conditions we are not concentrating solely on instruments. We are doing an integrated scan inside and outside the airplane, constantly looking for traffic.

And yes we can identify small flying objects at closer range, inside several miles. Close enough to matter, say inside 100 meters there is no doubt that I can identify a quad copter or some other useless flying toy. If I can tell you what kind of bird it was at that range and closer I can most certainly identify a drone.

I've not personally seen a drone in flight yet. I have seen plenty of birds, the occasional helium toy balloon and the odd grocery bag that's been picked up by a thermal. You are underestimating what the human eye, especially one that's been trained to look for air to air traffic is capable of seeing.

Your toy drone has no place in regulated airspace. The problem with drones is that the vast majority of their operators have no idea where the confines of regulated airspace begin. Hint, if you are within about 10 miles of a major international airport you are breaking the law by flying your drone. It is simply a matter of time before we have a collision with possible loss of life due to these toys and the idiots who operate them around airports.

Yup, British Airway's pilot stated that a drone hit his plane, story went viral... now it turns out it might have been a plastic bag...

Phil

We never said Brits could tell what kind of drone it was......

quote:

Originally posted by INTJ:
We never said Brits could tell what kind of drone it was......

quote:

Originally posted by Greyghost:
Yup, British Airway's pilot stated that a drone hit his plane, story went viral... now it turns out it might have been a plastic bag...

Phil

But how do we know it wasn't a remotely controlled plastic bag???

I remember reading the original report of the first time a brit , using incendiary ammo , shot down a zeppilon. Certainly today a Brit could shoot down a balloon ???

Screw it, not worth it.