UKC

hmm, think there needs to be a new Grumbling and Mithering forum. So my grumble is...there I was, having walked well over an hour to reach the peace and isloation of a high lakeland crag with not another human soul in sight except me and my climbing buddy for the day; when ....bzz...bzz..BZZZZZ comes insistently from above. What is it? I ask myself on the belay. Is it a demented bluebottle with a P.A. system? Nope, its a drone which proceeds to hover about bobbing up and down above us, buzzing loudly, for the next 20 minutes, till I wished for a second hand, shoulder held, ground to air missile with which to blast it out of the sky. Am now thinking of investing in a counter drone with interception and shoot -down capacity, or possibly train a falcon to pluck them out of the sky before returning to my gloved wrist....

In reply to pebbles:

Shooting them down doesn't do anything about the root cause of the problem. You need an anti radiation missile to home in on the person controlling it.

In reply to davidbeynon:


amazon?

In reply to Kimono:

Wot, a one breasted lady archer warrior? You can't just find them in a few clicks.

In reply to pebbles:

I think they're a fad that'll go away in a year or two.

Maybe YouTube should ask for proof of an operators licence and whatever filming permit you need, before hosting the footage.

I'd wait a couple of days then search YouTube and then complain to the CAA if they've broken the law.

In reply to Kimono:

They sell missiles on amazon?

In reply to DancingOnRock:

but shooting them down would be LOADS more fun.

In reply to pebbles:

I would have thought one of those undersized/toy electric BB guns would be quite adequate against the plastic rotors of a drone. Or at least provide enough of a concern for the pilot to get it away from you...

In reply to pebbles:

Other ways are more fun still!

http://petapixel.com/2016/05/11/russian-man-takes-flying-drone-spear-histor...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35750816

In reply to pebbles:

20 minutes....unbelievable!

No seriously, I didn't think the batteries lasted that long.

In reply to pebbles:

Not sure which crag you where at but it could have been a crew filming Nicky Spinks attempt at the double Bob?

In reply to pebbles:

Apparently elephants hate them and have been known to use their trunks to throw mud at them.

It is believed that elephants associate the sound with bee swarms which they are terrified of.

In reply to pebbles:

Here is a link
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/05/elephant-vs-drone/481...

In reply to Morgan Woods:



Easy. A guy (well a dick head) I know bought one for filming the professional firework display he puts on.
It's quite a bit of kit.
You set the hight then draw a flight path on Google maps and upload it and off it goes.
On boxing day he sent it off all on its own from the village he lives in just outside of Leeds to fly to Kirkstall Road to film to flooding then return back to his house.
Apparently it is smart enough to RTB if it detects the batteries getting low.
I don't know how many laws he broke doing this but it's a few

In reply to pebbles:

http://www.catapults.co/

In reply to Morgan Woods:

well I didnt time it - I was belaying, I had other things to focus on. felt like 20 bloody minutes . It hung around for an irritating amount of time

In reply to ChrisNaylor:

we were at Green Gable and it was bobbing down over our side of the crag, no Bob Grahamers anywhere to be seen. just somebody having a play with their new toy. Epic effort by Nicky Spinks though!!!!!

In reply to Offwidth:

yes!!!! I want an eagle. "well done, my pretty!"

In reply to Dax H:


Yup the professional or semi pro ones seem to have pretty good battery life. Obv cost a fair amount more but serious toys.


Not having line of sight control for one. Think that would be the biggy then you have the safe overflights etc.

In reply to Dax H:


Good point.

Our dear friends at the CAA are all over this and EASA are catching up fast. I have just been writing emails to ensure that certain helicopter folks are part of EASA's latest consultation.

Many drone owners have no idea that they becoming involved in aviation. They have even less idea of the discipline involved in aviation and the regulatory regime that will soon be feeling their collars.

In reply to pebbles:

This guy had the right idea, all you need is a medieval spear.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3584450/Bullseye-Russian-man-frustr...

In reply to ChrisNaylor:


Sounds pornographic...