You might wonder how a 25kg drone could pose much of a threat to a commercial airliner. Well, apparently it does, as three pilots flying into JFK found out when they spotted unmanned aircraft flying dangerously close to their planes. This from CNN:

Drones that fly too close to commercial flights pose a serious threat to the larger aircraft, Phil Derner of NYCaviation.com told CNN affiliate WPIX.

A drone “going into an engine can destroy an engine,” Derner said “Going into the cockpit window can injure a pilot or even kill a pilot.”

What’s more alarming is that they’re not isolated incidents – the FAA is averaging 60 reports a month of pilots spotting an ‘unmanned aerial vehicle’.

It’s very, very concerning because having drones at JFK or any major airport was illegal even before the latest drone laws came into effect,” CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo said. “What is happening now is there are some stiff prosecutions being handed out — including jail time — for lawbreakers. As the people get the word, they won’t do such idiotic things anymore.”

I would be keen to hear why the ‘idiots’ in question think it’s ok to fly drones near airports – I also can’t help wondering if all these incidents are as innocent as they seem.

[source: CNN]