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Another drone takes down another helicopter 12

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Sparweb

Aerospace
May 21, 2003
5,109
Not the first time.
In its report, the NTSB noted that it has now completed three investigations where a collision with a drone has been confirmed, and gathered information on two other collisions where the evidence is consistent with a drone strike.

The drone was operating above 400 feet AGL in airspace that did not permit this, and at night when this is not normally permitted either. The type of drone that probably hit the helicopter (based on the damage) is not the kind that would be equipped with proper anti-collision lights that would make night flight possible.

Here is another example, probably not in the NTSB count - although a much more avoidable one that should not have happened.

 
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I didn't realise there were so many...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik
 
dik,

The number N will level off at some constant that is a proportion of the population P, as follows:

N = K * P

where K is the percentage of stupid people

(K is a universal constant, applicable to many phenomena)

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."
 
K may include others that are not 'stupid' people...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik
 
It's class G airspace. And the rules for it are not able to allow safe operation of drones and visual flight rules.

The FAA is struggling to work out how to make it safer
 
It must be e[sup]K[/sup] as it seems to be increasing faster than the population.

 
great...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik
 
Looks like it was a good sized drone... not the common ones used by people...

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik
 
FYI...

Class A – 18,000 feet and higher above mean sea level (MSL). Class B – Airspace around the 40 most congested airports in the country. Because Kennedy, LaGuardia, and Newark are so close, the Class B airspace for the three airports overlaps.

Class B airspace is often described as an upside‐down wedding cake (see accompanying picture). The top of the airspace is 7,000 feet above sea level for New York’s Class B. The bottom ranges from 0 feet near the airports, to generally 1,500 feet in the middle ring, to generally 3,000 feet in the outer ring. Republic has a “cut‐ out” in the outer ring to 4,000 feet. The sizes and elevations of the rings vary at each airport. There are many restrictions on flying in the Class B airspace and many rules that must be followed.

Class C – Airspace around commercial airports that are less congested than the Class B airports. MacArthur Airport has Class C airspace. Class C typically has two rings, one from the ground to 4,000 feet above ground level (AGL) and above the airport and the outer ring from 1,500 feet to 4,000 feet above the airport. Class C has less stringent rules than Class B.

Class D – Airspace around other towered airports. One ring, usually 10 miles in diameter from the ground to 2,500 feet above the airport. This is the airspace around Republic Airport when the tower is open. Class D requires communication with the tower but generally has no other rules for flight.

Class E – Most of the airspace when you are not near towered airports or when the tower is closed. Republic’s airspace is Class E overnight when the tower is closed. MacArthur is the same way.

Class G – Airspace in select areas below either 700 feet or 1,200 feet above the ground in the New York area.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik
 
dik said:
Looks like it was a good sized drone... not the common ones used by people...

Give it a little time. People won't settle for a Corolla to go to the corner store when an F-350 can be had.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."
 

Thanks... I didn't realise there was even that much.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik
 
When the drones become a common means of delivery... the skys will get pretty busy in a short period of time, I suspect.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik
 
When the drones become a common means of delivery... the skys will get pretty busy in a short period of time,

Those will likely be decked out with anti-collision and obstacle avoidance sensors, since they're likely to be semi-autonomous; any accidents they cause will likely be due to actions taken to avoid a collision with a manually operated drone, since they have way less situational awareness, and even if they had the sensors, the operator couldn't possibly digest 4 pi steradians worth of situational data

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert! faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list
 
Absolutely no chance due class G rules.

Thinking about it a new bit of airspace would have to be defined that only they could go in and other aircraft would need safe routes through.

But that would then limit rotary doing what they do...

And a load of rotary want/need to operate black so no way of getting them to automatically ground themselves if one is about.

Its an incredibly complex problem to deal with and will be very expensive.
 
Wow I had never thought about this before but it's spooky. We have heli tours here in Galveston along the beach and also tons of people bringing smaller toy drones out for a spin around there. In our area the hospital is off limits for drones because of life flight, but I didn't even think twice about the heli tour guy's path when flying my drone around the house and to the beach.

Crazy that damage was caused with such a small, light drone. I figured a Phantom would just get shredded by the chopper without even batting an eye.
 
There are too many helicopters, anyway.

Rather than think climate change and the corona virus as science, think of it as the wrath of God. Feel any better?

-Dik
 
I still don’t understand why we cant/won’t just electronically limit drone use over 400’ and near airports. Seems like a simple software solution.
 
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