The Heathrow Airport in Longford, England has been in the news a lot recently. Over the past couple of years, Heathrow has been the home to many increasingly alarming drone sightings. It is unknown whether Heathrow is just plain unlucky, or there is actual malice involved. However, drone incidents have skyrocketed over the past two years with no signs of stopping any time soon. Incidents resulted in damaged planes and some crashes, but so far no lethal events yet. This may all be inevitable however, as drones become more available to the public. These drones and cheaper and are more available in stores for purchase. This means that any person can fly one. Flying a drone demands a ton of responsibility, especially when flown high in the sky.
Another Incident
In yet another drone incident in Heathrow, the airport authorities even summoned the military this time. In an effort to finally catch the perpetrators, military and police forces combined their efforts. This means that Heathrow means business, and the ante has increased dramatically since the recent Gatwick incident.
The drone in question was spotted at the airfield earlier this week, prompting fears among passengers and pilots alike. Similar courses of action ensued; incoming flights received diversion instructions. Outgoing flights on the other hand received a suspension of over an hour, to manage the situation safely.
Indeed, paranoia and safety issues are at an all-time high. Drones colliding with planes is a real risk – one that some drone operators seem to ignore. In Britain, the 1 kilometer drone ban expands to 5 kilometers, in an attempt to fix this ongoing problem. 400 feet limitations are also in effect, although in these incidents in airports, that rule is out the window. These near-collisions occur several thousands of feet in the air, a distance no drone owner accidentally treks.
