Droning on.

[TheOstrich]

I think the maximum sentence they can get is 5 years?

Be interesting to see how they got caught - are they eco-warriors, for example; part of that Plane Stupid group? Did the police have any inside knowledge?

[Suff]

Best to make sure it actually is them though...

[miasmum]

They have been released without charge

[Workingman]

The police are also reporting the discovery of a downed drone though it will take time to identify if it was one of the drones used. Identification could lead the police to the people responsible.

It is also reported that the drone(s) were neutralised by the military use of the Drone Dome system purchased in August. For micro and mini drones it has a range of 3.5km to 10km and can be "on" 24/7 or fast switched when a threat is identified.It might have to be rolled out at all major airports.

The big question for the police and security services is 'Why?' it was done. Was it designed solely to disrupt or was it a test for the future?

[miasmum]

but on News at Ten, the final words were 'if it was a drone at all" What does that mean?

[Workingman]

It is a strange one, and very confused.

The police officer seemed to question the 67 sightings and wondered if all of them were true, but then went on to say that a number of them came from staff working at the airport.

It was also reported the other day that spotters in the helicopter sent to investigate also saw 'something' in the air over the airport and there is footage claiming to be of the drone.

Are we at the point where the media is speculating just to put out a story during a slow news period?

[medsec222]

Was there a drone or wasn't there a drone. The police don't seem to know. Is all this inefficiency and cluelessness in parliament and our public services a result of decades in dumbing down in our schools.

[Workingman]

I worked on airfields for nearly 20 years, out on the pans, out on the hardstandings, even out on the runway, and it becomes second nature to watch the skies. At the time it was not drones being looked out for, but bird flights, especially single birds. Flocks are easy to spot, but a lone bird floating about is a different prospect. Everything was reported to the tower, just in case. We also looked out for furry things scampering about.

A bird strike or a rabbit sucked into an engine can down a plane in seconds - it was better to be safe than sorry.

I lean to the belief that if airside staff say there was a drone then there was a drone. Tower usually has a couple of pairs of binoculars to help the Mk1 eyeball and it is they who have the control of aircraft safety. They are the first in line for action and if they closed the runway it was not for a wayward plastic bag drifting in the wind.

[Workingman]

So the cabinet (well, some of them) held an emergency phone conference. Wow!

I feel a bit sorry for the police officer. He is not trained in media communication and he was put on the spot by those who are. His statement obviously did not come over as intended yet the media luvvies and politicians have jumped on it as a way of trashing the whole investigation.

The police cannot win. We do not want them to stonewall or give out pre-prepared statements, yet when they go 'live' everything is dissected in the most minute detail.

As for the media's indignant condemnation of the police for arresting an 'innocent' man and woman, words almost fail me. Had the police not acted and it later turned out that the couple were the culprits there would have been hell to pay. And let us never forget that it was the media who published photos of the couple, gave details of where they lived, and then 'named and shamed' them.

Journalists then wonder why they are held with such contempt.

[Suff]

As for the media's indignant condemnation of the police for arresting an 'innocent' man and woman, words almost fail me. Had the police not acted and it later turned out that the couple were the culprits there would have been hell to pay. And let us never forget that it was the media who published photos of the couple, gave details of where they lived, and then 'named and shamed' them.

Journalists then wonder why they are held with such contempt.

Indeed, that couple say they felt "violated". Well I have a few choice words for them. Just how "violated" would they have felt if a drone had crashed their flight on take off? Take off is more vulnerable than landing as the aircraft is hardly in the air and desperately needs the power of the engines to claw for flight. They are at the wrong angle to glide, the wrong height to do much about fixing the angle. In short they are incredibly vulnerable.

Recently I picked up my motorcycles from City airport. Because I had to use a trailer and because of where the bike parking is, I had to do this after midnight to ensure I didn't block the traffic. The security guy who came to check that I was not stealing the bikes actually apologised to me. I told him not to, that I was glad that he was checking and that I rely on that security. Of course I came armed with keys and V5 documentation, but, still, they should be checking even if it says that the bikes are left at the owners own risk.

My son said this quite succinctly. "You told us to fight knife crime because of the number of deaths. We analysed the demographics and deduced that 90% of the problem was in one particular group. We went after that group and you called us racists. F. You. You are on your own!".

Quite!