Sooner Boomer
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from https://www.apnews.com/313575772ac14fc6a3b7d6edf960291d
LONDON (AP) — Drones spotted over the runway forced the shutdown of London’s Gatwick Airport on Thursday during one of the busiest times of the year, stranding or delaying tens of thousands of Christmas-season travelers and setting off a hunt for the operator of the intruding aircraft.
The prospect of a deadly collision between what police called “industrial”-grade drones and an airliner led authorities to stop all flights in and out.
Police said that they had no doubt the intrusion was a deliberate attempt to disrupt operations at the airport during a peak period but that there were “absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror-related.”
About 20 police units from two forces tried in vain to find the drone operator as soon as the first unmanned aircraft was spotted above Gatwick on Wednesday evening. Police told airport officials it was too risky to try to shoot down the drones — stray bullets might kill someone.
“Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears. When we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears,” said Sussex Police Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw. He said the newer-generation drones are bigger and have more range, making it harder for police to zero in on the person controlling the device.
Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said the military would be deployed to help police. He said the armed forces would bring “unique capabilities” but gave no details.
Drones could get sucked into a jet engine or crash through a windshield, incapacitating the pilot.
The crisis at Gatwick had a ripple effect on air travel in Britain, continental Europe and beyond as incoming flights were sent to other locations and outgoing ones were stopped.
Travelers described freezing conditions overnight at Gatwick as hundreds slept on benches and floors, and passengers and their families complained they weren’t being kept informed about re-routed flights.
“We understand it’s an emergency situation, but the lack of information is really surprising,” said Vanessa Avila, an American based in Britain who works for the U.S. military. Her mother was on a flight from Florida to Gatwick that ended up landing in the northern English city of Manchester.
Gatwick — Britain’s second-busiest airport by passenger numbers — first closed its runway Wednesday evening after two drones were spotted. It reopened briefly at about 3 a.m. Thursday, but shut down 45 minutes later after further sightings.
The airport, about 30 miles (45 kilometers) south of London, sees more than 43 million passengers a year. About 110,000 had been scheduled to pass through on Thursday.
Police said the drones were of an “industrial specification,” an indication they weren’t small, inexpensive machines. The larger drones are more dangerous to jets in flight and can stay in the air longer than the models sold to amateur enthusiasts.
This is going to get hobbiest drones banned in GB.
LONDON (AP) — Drones spotted over the runway forced the shutdown of London’s Gatwick Airport on Thursday during one of the busiest times of the year, stranding or delaying tens of thousands of Christmas-season travelers and setting off a hunt for the operator of the intruding aircraft.
The prospect of a deadly collision between what police called “industrial”-grade drones and an airliner led authorities to stop all flights in and out.
Police said that they had no doubt the intrusion was a deliberate attempt to disrupt operations at the airport during a peak period but that there were “absolutely no indications to suggest this is terror-related.”
About 20 police units from two forces tried in vain to find the drone operator as soon as the first unmanned aircraft was spotted above Gatwick on Wednesday evening. Police told airport officials it was too risky to try to shoot down the drones — stray bullets might kill someone.
“Each time we believe we get close to the operator, the drone disappears. When we look to reopen the airfield, the drone reappears,” said Sussex Police Superintendent Justin Burtenshaw. He said the newer-generation drones are bigger and have more range, making it harder for police to zero in on the person controlling the device.
Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said the military would be deployed to help police. He said the armed forces would bring “unique capabilities” but gave no details.
Drones could get sucked into a jet engine or crash through a windshield, incapacitating the pilot.
The crisis at Gatwick had a ripple effect on air travel in Britain, continental Europe and beyond as incoming flights were sent to other locations and outgoing ones were stopped.
Travelers described freezing conditions overnight at Gatwick as hundreds slept on benches and floors, and passengers and their families complained they weren’t being kept informed about re-routed flights.
“We understand it’s an emergency situation, but the lack of information is really surprising,” said Vanessa Avila, an American based in Britain who works for the U.S. military. Her mother was on a flight from Florida to Gatwick that ended up landing in the northern English city of Manchester.
Gatwick — Britain’s second-busiest airport by passenger numbers — first closed its runway Wednesday evening after two drones were spotted. It reopened briefly at about 3 a.m. Thursday, but shut down 45 minutes later after further sightings.
The airport, about 30 miles (45 kilometers) south of London, sees more than 43 million passengers a year. About 110,000 had been scheduled to pass through on Thursday.
Police said the drones were of an “industrial specification,” an indication they weren’t small, inexpensive machines. The larger drones are more dangerous to jets in flight and can stay in the air longer than the models sold to amateur enthusiasts.
This is going to get hobbiest drones banned in GB.
