News Gatwick Airport: Drone sightings cause delays

[Marijn]

That's not what I expected.. I hope they will show some pics of the drone.

 

[RisingFury]

It's not cost, in my opinion, it's an insurance move. Gatwick cannot afford to have an incident that damages a plane; that leads to serious questions of competence surrounding why the airfield was kept open when it was dangerous to do so, and though I don't have the regulation in front of me I'd wager they are actually obliged to keep the airfield closed in this kind of circumstance.

Yes, Gatwick is a business, but this wasn't a straight revenue-loss decision, otherwise they probably would have taken the hit and run planes anyway.

In other words... most people who are in positions of leadership got there due to their knowledge, expertise and hard work, not by posting random "raaa raaa raaa" on Twitter, Facebook and Orbiter-Forum.

Talk is cheap.

 

[Thorsten]

Talk is cheap.

WIth this 'argument', you can dismiss any criticism of pretty much anything. Most people are not experts in <insert problem here>, and experts in <insert problem here> make mistakes - so is everyone always supposed to shut up about it?

I am and remain shocked that it's that easy and cheap to shut down an airport - especially given the enormous anti-terror measures emerging around us.

And I would venture the guess that no drone would have ever come close to an airport in Israel...

 

[RisingFury]

WIth this 'argument', you can dismiss any criticism of pretty much anything. Most people are not experts in <insert problem here>, and experts in <insert problem here> make mistakes - so is everyone always supposed to shut up about it?

"Put up or shut up."

I am and remain shocked that it's that easy and cheap to shut down an airport - especially given the enormous anti-terror measures emerging around us.

It's easy and cheap for people to do a lot of terrible things, but they don't.

And I would venture the guess that no drone would have ever come close to an airport in Israel...

Why? Because it hasn't happened yet? This is the first high profile airport to be shut down due to drones. There've been instances of fire and other aircraft having been grounded in an emergency due to people flying drones over problem areas.

 

[Thorsten]

Why? Because it hasn't happened yet?

Largely because these were large drones - which could have carried explosives.

The event has thus proven that it would be entirely possible to fly one or several drones carrying explosives on a major airport and detonate them on fully fueled planes with passengers inside - without any countermeasure being initiated in time.

In that sense, it was pure luck that this was not a terrorist attack.

Israel (perhaps not surprisingly) has already had experience with drones rigged with explosives.

 

[Marijn]

Largely because these were large drones - which could have carried explosives.

How large?

 

[RisingFury]

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-46665615

There may have been no drone at all :lol:

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Oh my God... Really? :facepalm:

Shades of "War of the Worlds" broadcast here...

 

[APDAF]

Or they got the wrong people which can happen

 

[Lucy]

It would certainly explain why it was hard to get rid of... hoaxer?

 

[Marijn]

Now they will give a reward of 50.000 pounds for any information leading an arrest. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...chaos-arrested-couple-released-without-charge

That's some clever marketing going on here. They know this is a safe bet which will not cost any money but they still will generate the media coverage to fuel their anti-drone lobby.

 

[jgrillo2002]

These stupid idiots are the reason we have bad laws where I live.