Gatwick Chaos

[tazdevil]

The age of moron management or the 'I can't possibly take responsibility and think outside the box'. Captain Mainwaring would be proud of the modern management duffers who talk the game but can't do

[WTFH]

Possibly flying in to LGW tonight. BA have put on extra planes so ours should be OK. Row 1, as ever.

Flight was delayed 30 mins due to late baggage delivering to the plane on the outbound sector.
Our flight was slow due to 125mph headwinds.
Them, because the airport is so full of planes, we were put on a remote stand near the North Terminal, and had to be bussed all the way to the South. Passport Control was empty, so no delays there.

In total, we were maybe an hour later home than expected.

[minestrone]

Mind you, who hasn't spent days chasing down a non existent bug as some user "saw something that didn't look quite right"

[Paddy]

Strange really - seems there was no drone at all.

Managed to ground a few flights for a few days - probably gave them some time for extra security 'checks'

Or maybe there is nothing in that at all.

Gatwick 'no drone' police comment 'miscommunicated' - BBC News

Gatwick 'no drone' police comment 'miscommunicated'

I too don't think there were any drones. Authorities will be too embarrassed to admit it

[NickFitz]

WTF!

Gatwick: suspects exonerated as confusion deepens over drone attack | UK news | The Guardian



WTAF!

They didn't get eyes on before pulling the plug? Who are these morons, they should be the ones on the front pages of the gutter press.


"Sir we have reports of a drone inside the perimeter fence"
"Who's reporting it?"
"Some guy walking his dog"
"So not even a plane spotter that may know how to tell the difference between a drone, and you know, the various types of aircraft coming into this airport?"
"Nope just some old duffer"
"Alright better close the place down, can't take any risk"
"Shouldn't we get visual confirmation from airport security"
"Nope, public witness accounts can be relied upon, hit the panic button"

It can't be true. I'm embarrassed for them.

"Why has that 737 crashed on Pease Pottage?"

"Dunno, there wasn't anything untoward out there. Well, some bloke walking his dog said he saw a large drone buzzing the runway, but he doesn't even have a subscription to Flight International, so what would he know? We told him to feck off."

"Sensible. Now, better call the AAIB I suppose. Anybody got their number?"

[minestrone]

It would be funny if it was mass hysteria. A well deserved national humiliation to round off the year.

I'm not sure what behaviour is more neurotic, the "yes, I see it too" of the drone witnesses, or the "I need everyone around me to fail" of the contemporary progressives.

[Paddy]

And now, from several drones buzzing the runway it becomes "when drones were sighted near the runway." And "UK now has systems to combat drones"

UK now has systems to combat drones - Ben Wallace - BBC News

[Paddy]

Two out of the three drone scares at Heathrow turned out to be actual police drones. Considering there are already anti- drone drones on the market, I am surprised that airports do not have them.

And today...

Gatwick drone sightings may have been of police equipment, chief constable admits

Gatwick drone sightings may have been of police equipment, chief constable admits

[minestrone]

A 12 year old after a Christmas lecture could tell you how to evade these "drone systems".

And I refuse to believe that the radar in an airport could not detect a drone. Maybe the operator software would not have displayed it but...

[Acme Thunderer]

A 12 year old after a Christmas lecture could tell you how to evade these "drone systems".

And I refuse to believe that the radar in an airport could not detect a drone. Maybe the operator software would not have displayed it but...

A primary surveillance radar is highly unlikely to detect a drone. It just isn't designed to do that. It would only sweep past the drone every 4 seconds or so plus the size of the return would be minuscule

The secondary surveillance radar, which ATC do their work from, certainly wouldn't see it as the drone won't have a transponder