[DarrenL]

This must be a first?

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6513923/Chaos-Gatwick-drone-spotted-near-airport-SHUTS-runway.html

[Dave W]

There was an earlier incident in July 2017.

[Cessna57]

Can only presume whoever is flying the drones also owns some laser pens.

Same mindset.

[pullup]

With over 24 diversions this has to be the most serious drone event so far.

That being said I think it is imperative for those investigating to ascertain, as soon as possible, that the reports(?) were genuine.

Press reports (always to be viewed with scepticism) say two drones were involved and report social media (just as awful) are saying up to seven drones were seen.

If the reports are true then the police and authorities need to take unprecedented action to find these culprits and set an example of them.

If found to be untrue then some sort of protocol needs to be set up to ensure that safety is not compromised whilst at the same time making sure that such “reports” are accurate.

[tomshep]

News footage shows one. Police say two. Planes go up, drones go up. In a country where ambulance crews are routinely attacked, spoiling Christmas for thousands of people is just a bit of fun for the nihilists. Better that, I suppose than coordinated attacks by those who want airports closed down.
If it happens at LHR, for example?
Perhaps it is time to have drones with nets, big fast ones, as airfield equipment to intercept them. Geofencing clearly doesn't work.

[Dave Phillips]

Perhaps it's time for anything that flies to have mandatory EC.

[PaulB]

Seemingly multiple occurrences

These are LGW’s tweets last night

And then again in the last 10 minutes

[Straight Level]

Perhaps it's time for anything that flies to have mandatory EC.

Then 5 minutes later, instructions on how to disable the EC fitted to drones appear on every "drones R us.co.uk " type website.
Nope, it's time to catch these people and sling them in prison.

[skydriller]

Heard an airliner flying over lower than usual and off the usual routings into Bordeaux last night, saw it was a diverted Easyjet flight from Faro to Gatwick. on FR24. Wondered why.

That being said I think it is imperative for those investigating to ascertain, as soon as possible, that the reports(?) were genuine.
Press reports (always to be viewed with scepticism) say two drones were involved and report social media (just as awful) are saying up to seven drones were seen.

I did wonder if I was not the only one wondering about this, after all we are presumably talking about personal drones, which aren't very big, not easy to spot in daylight, let alone 9pm at night over a well lit area... Lots of Social media footage of delayed pax - Im surprised there is no photo of the suspected drone (or 7 drones?).
Cant deny the delays/diversions though - I saw one myself!

Regards, SD..

[Dave Phillips]

Perhaps it's time for anything that flies to have mandatory EC.

Then 5 minutes later, instructions on how to disable the EC fitted to drones appear on every "drones R us.co.uk " type website.
Nope, it's time to catch these people and sling then in prison.

Where there's a will there's a way. It wouldn't take too many of this type of event before big money (bigger than now) gets thrown at technological solutions.

[Sir Morley Steven]

Any techies out there who could say whether a jamming signal could either take them down or, in a James Bondy way, take them over?

[skydriller]

It wouldn't take too many of this type of event before big money (bigger than now) gets thrown at technological solutions.

The trouble is that history shows its you and me that end up paying that bill, not big business...

[Sir Morley Steven]

Just a quick google throws up several sites like this one.
https://www.dedrone.com/blog/primer-jam ... of-a-drone
I wonder why major airports don’t have jamming and spoofing tech.

[Dave Phillips]

Any techies out there who could say whether a jamming signal could either take them down or, in a James Bondy way, take them over?

Yes. Squirt out a huge amount of RF on 1.5Ghz, 2.4Ghz and/or 5.8Ghz. Already in place at a number of overseas airports.

[skydriller]

There was an earlier incident in July 2017.

NATS video: https://vimeo.com/228662010