Author Topic: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness  (Read 44661 times)

Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« on: 20 December, 2018, 08:56:14 am »
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-46623754

Spare a thought for the thousands of people whose getaway plans have been disrupted by the actions of an idiot or two

Unbelievable

A

Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #1 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:09:59 am »
Depends.

Maybe it was deliberate. In which case, not stupid at all.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #2 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:12:06 am »
I may be assuming too much too quickly about the motives of the drone operators, but I expect that a lot more airport disruption will be on the cards as Extinction Rebellion really takes off (if you'll pardon the pun).

Governments have done nothing to tackle the causes of climate change and people are taking the law into their own hands.

Whilst awaiting further developments, it might be worth considering putting this in POBI.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #3 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:13:02 am »
Two drones, flown in sequence suggests more than stupidity and selfishness

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #4 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:21:56 am »
As Flatus says, a simple and cheap way of achieving an aim. One report I heard stated there was a drone up at 7.
I doubt it is for shits and giggles.
It is simpler than it looks.

ElyDave

  • Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society member 263583
Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #5 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:29:05 am »
That may be exactly what it's for, just because it seems to be ordered, doesn't make it have a purpose other than some malicious prank or similar.

We know nothing other than that drones have been flown multiple times.  Anything else is just supposition.
“Procrastination is the thief of time, collar him.” –Charles Dickens

fuaran

  • rothair gasta
Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #6 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:40:37 am »
After a couple of reported sightings, any lights in the sky will become suspicious.

Aunt Maud

  • Le Flâneur.
Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #7 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:44:03 am »
After a couple of reported sightings, any lights in the sky will become suspicious.

That means you as well as the bloke with the big sack, E.T.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #8 on: 20 December, 2018, 09:58:28 am »
I understand why the police can't shoot them down with firearms, but spent air rifle pellets are not particularly dangerous.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Cudzoziemiec

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Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #9 on: 20 December, 2018, 10:02:57 am »
A plummeting dead drone might be dangerous for anyone below though.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Beardy

  • Shedist
Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #10 on: 20 December, 2018, 10:14:41 am »
I understand why the police can't shoot them down with firearms, but spent air rifle pellets are not particularly dangerous.
That’s not entirely true, which is why you can’t shoot them into the air with impunity. From an risk analysis POV it’s highly unlikely that a shot fired into the air will actually hit someone, but the amount of energy the projectile has if it does hit someone can only be calculated with lots of complex maths1 and a shed load of assumption. Who it hits, and where it hits them will also be a major element in the outcome.

1. Ok, not that complex, but lots of assumptions if it’s to be calculated in advance.
For every complex problem in the world, there is a simple and easily understood solution that’s wrong.

Jaded

  • The Codfather
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Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #11 on: 20 December, 2018, 10:25:28 am »
I thought they had nets fired from cannons to trap drones.

Or did I see that on Tomorrow’s World.
It is simpler than it looks.

Pingu

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Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #13 on: 20 December, 2018, 10:28:30 am »
Frickin' lasers, it's the only way to go.

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #14 on: 20 December, 2018, 10:30:33 am »
EMP weapon.

T42

  • Apprentice geezer
Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #15 on: 20 December, 2018, 11:03:07 am »
Going to be a run on these things then:



(that's green, in case your eyes/screen are a wee bit phunny. MrsT would likely see it as blue.)
I've dusted off all those old bottles and set them up straight

Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #16 on: 20 December, 2018, 11:22:48 am »
I may be assuming too much too quickly about the motives of the drone operators, but I expect that a lot more airport disruption will be on the cards as Extinction Rebellion really takes off (if you'll pardon the pun).

Governments have done nothing to tackle the causes of climate change and people are taking the law into their own hands.

Whilst awaiting further developments, it might be worth considering putting this in POBI.

It seems the Police agree with you..

"Sussex Police said it was not terror-related but a "deliberate act" of disruption."

We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #17 on: 20 December, 2018, 11:52:33 am »
I've got two of my fitters flying from Gatwick to Munich at 06:20 tomorrow.
With nearly 15 hours of nothing flying in or out of Gatwick, somehow I cannot see their flight leaving on time - or at all if the drones are still present.

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #18 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:08:45 pm »
I may be assuming too much too quickly about the motives of the drone operators, but I expect that a lot more airport disruption will be on the cards as Extinction Rebellion really takes off (if you'll pardon the pun).

Governments have done nothing to tackle the causes of climate change and people are taking the law into their own hands.

Whilst awaiting further developments, it might be worth considering putting this in POBI.

It seems the Police agree with you..

"Sussex Police said it was not terror-related but a "deliberate act" of disruption."
It won't help their cause.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #19 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:22:40 pm »
No, I don't think it will, but then neither do I think they care about that, it's all about disruption and publicity - there being no such thing as bad publicity apparently.
We are making a New World (Paul Nash, 1918)

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
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Re: What utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #20 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:26:26 pm »
It seems the Police agree with you..

"Sussex Police said it was not terror-related but a "deliberate act" of disruption."

It's an interesting distinction. I suppose terrorism really has to involve violence or the threat of violence to qualify. What about motivations?

But if I were running the Peoples Front of Judea (or similar), I'd say this drone stunt would get me more publicity, and cost UK Plc a lot more money, than say blowing up someone's car when no one is around. And would probably cause UK Plc to expend a lot more cash/manpower to prevent recurrence.

/ramble
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bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #21 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:28:53 pm »
Extinction are holocentric. There is no committee at the top sanctioning 'official' actions. This has its ups and downs; on one hand it doesn't give a bunch of committee bashers a load of bureaucratic power, on the other it is more or less inevitable that something overly risky will be done in the name of the brand.

In any case this would be a really moronic act as not even the darkest of greenies would want to be associated with blowing up a plane of 100 holidaymakers to make a protest.

If it were a group of Extinction activists we'd probably know about it by now. Edit; they have denied involvement. https://mobile.twitter.com/ExtinctionR/status/1075720892838236160

To be fair to Extinction I am on their side. It is completely bonkers that a fuel guzzling and lung-rotting jumbo jet is cheaper to get to the country next door than the train and ferry.
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
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Ban cars.

Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #22 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:29:43 pm »
Can you imagine the disruption caused if you were to do it at three or four major airports?
So you've  reduced the number of places you can divert flights to.

Steph

  • Fast. Fast and bulbous. But fluffy.
Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #23 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:52:12 pm »
Sitting there now. Nothing moving.
Mae angen arnaf i byw, a fe fydda'i

Re: Gatwick drones -what utter stupidity and selfishness
« Reply #24 on: 20 December, 2018, 12:53:41 pm »
Or eagles or something.


ETA:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-35750816/eagles-trained-to-take-down-drones

According to those in the know over at the PPRuNe (Professional Pilots Rumour Network) forum, the experiment was terminated and the BBC article is somewhat out of date. I couldn't see a link on PPRuNe to confirm this though
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