The Next Terror Weapon?

[EDDIE51]

There are reports that airliners have had near misses with drones.
How long before a terrorist realises the potential to down a plane?
The largest of these drones can carry a 1.5Kg load, supposed to be for cameras, but what is to stop them putting 1.5Kg of expolosive on one?
http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/550269-drones-threatening-commercial-c.html

[237SJ]

It happened at LHR as well http://www.airtrafficmanagement.net/2014/12/ba-a320-identified-as-aircraft-in-near-miss-with-drone/

[EDDIE51]

Sorry, max load for this is 2.6Kg !
http://heighttech.com/en/products/ht-8-C180/#&;panel1-1
Now 2.6Kg of explosive could really do some damage!
You would just need to fly it into the path of a plane so it got sucked into the engine!

[Gromit]

Authority (CAA) sets the rules on drones in the UK under what is called an air navigation order.

An unmanned aircraft must never be flown beyond the normal unaided "line of sight" of the person operating it - this is generally measured as 500m (1,640ft)horizontally or 400ft (122m) vertically

An unmanned aircraft fitted with a camera must always be flown at least 50m (164ft) distance away from a person, vehicle, building or structure

An unmanned aircraft fitted with a camera must not be flown within 150m (492ft) of a congested area or large group of people, such as a sporting event or concert

For commercial purposes, operators must have permission to fly a drone from the CAA

In the US, the Federal Aviation Administration bans the flying of unmanned aircraft, including hobby drones, above 400ft.

The FAA also states that, if they are to be used within five miles of an airport, its air traffic control tower should be notified in advance. They should not weigh more than 55lbs (25kg).

It is probably time for some prosecutions to make those rules known by the general public.

[Zacs-Master]

I think you'd have to be pretty skilled to fly a drone into the path of an aircraft.

[Playbill]

Gromit, I'm sure any person wanting to do what EDDIE51 suggested will study those rules very carefully :)

[retrocop]

Gromit
Your grasp of Civil Aviation Authority rules is astounding.All those rules about distances and line of sight etc etc. Wonderfully enlightening. Of course Mohammed Mustava Bang will follow those rules and procedures to the letter of the law won't he? You are having a laugh!

[Gromit]

Agree with zacs,

The drones are very slow moving, and the target is moving at between 200mph. A drone could only attack during take off and landing. The aircaft will get up to or below 1000 metre for only a few minutes. I am not saying it is impossible, but it is virtually impossible.

[Gromit]

Retrocop,

so what do you suggest?

[Zacs-Master]

400ft high fences around all airports and military bases.

[retrocop]

A more scientific approach than educating the worshippers of mosques about the Air Navigation Order which was the Air Navigation Act 1936.
Perhaps high powered transponders situated around the glide paths of all airports. I would imagine these drones operate on a given,permitted frequency. The transponders could be used to jam those signals. If the terrorists changed the operating frequency then scanners could work alongside the transponders in the control tower to alert the transponder operators to jam on another alien frequency perhaps. I am no boffin but I know during the latter days of the troubles all troop movements were accompanied by a mobile or pedestrian user/transponder.

[retrocop]

I was in a helicopter over central London when we were involved in one of many hundreds of reported bird strikes .Birds don't fly that fast either.We returned immediately to base where the chopper was grounded until the customary CAA examination took place to pronounce the aircraft fit to fly. That bird was not carrying 1.5kg of C4.!!
Alternatively maybe all aircraft could be fitted with a transponder similar to the radio beacon IFF system used in the 2nd WW which would be activated on ascent and descent from Airports.

[EDDIE51]

Any one can buy one of these, with no questions asked. My son has a small one. There are rules but there is no way to enforce them, you can buy one of these drones and have it flying within a couple of minutes . If you read the link it has proved impossible to find the person flying the drone in any of the incidents. They can go to 2,000 ft .

[trt]

The terrorist will always come up with something bizarre or unusual to kill people.

A few years back, who would have thought that one of them would have a bomb in his shoes, and another in his boxer shorts on a flight.

[EDDIE51]

Amazon has got permission to start testing drones for it's 1 hour delivery service!!!
http://gizmodo.com/amazon-can-finally-test-its-delivery-drones-in-the-un-1697124779