Aug. 22nd Someone's Drone Breaches LAX Airspace
On Aug. 4, police said a personal drone was spotted by a Canadian jetliner hovering about 10 miles east of LAX at 4,000 feet – an altitude outside Federal Aviation Administration guidelines for hobbyists with drones and and also within the airport’s Class B air space.
Los Angeles police learned of the drone when the airline pilot asked air traffic controllers if it was a police drone. The LAPD’s two drones are locked away in a federal building and have not been used.
“Everyone is going to suffer because of a reckless pilot,” said LAPD Air Support Capt. Gary Walters. “You don’t expect to see one at 1,200 feet when you’re doing 130 mph going to an emergency call to the Coliseum.”
The department is talking with the FAA and local lawmakers about what can be done to bring existing laws up to date so they apply to drones, officials said.
Earlier this year:
A remote controlled drone almost collided with a commercial jet at 4,000 feet Sunday as it approached Los Angeles International Airport.
An investigation has been launched after the case, which occurred as a Southwest Airlines plane prepared to land at the airport. Audio recordings of the pilot and control tower documented the moment the pilot told air control about the near-miss.
"Hey, there was just one of those radio-controlled helicopter things that went right over the top of us at 4,000," the pilot said.
and August 21, 2015
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Los Angeles International Airport is the second busiest airport in the country. But it is second to none in close calls with drones.
In the past month, there were 11 near-hits between drones and airplanes in the Los Angeles area, according to Federal Aviation Administration data obtained by CBS2 news. That’s the most in the country. Many occurred just a couple miles from LAX.
One flight coming into LAX from London, United Airlines flight 935, reported a drone was just 400 feet from the plane as it was four miles away from the airport and making its descent. Other close calls included a Jet Blue airplane that reported a drone off of its left wing just a mile from LAX.
What’s more, an Air Force refueling tanker reported a drone passed it at 2,700 feet in the air, near March Air Reserve Base. Model aircraft and recreational drones are restricted to flying below 400 feet in the air, according to FAA rules.
Drones have also come under scrutiny lately as some have hampered firefighting efforts in the state. In response, the state earlier this week launched a tip line for concerned citizens to anonymously phone-in irresponsible drone use. The number is 1-844-DRONE11."
There was one pilot in another article that I read here who stated that the drone he saw was the size of a small trash can.
Happily though:
"Lawmakers in the California state Assembly approved a measure Monday that would restrict the use of drones over private property without the owner's permission.
The drone bill, by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara), would make flying a drone less-than 350 feet above private property without consent a trespass violation.
"If you drive on someone's property with a car, you're trespassing. If you're looking on someone's property to break in, you're trespassing," said Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles), who presented the bill on the floor. "It makes no sense that a drone should be able to look in your window and the operator should not be guilty of the same trespass."
Gatto noted that under the bill, the drone operator, not the manufacturer, would be held liable for the trespassing violation.
The bill, SB 142, passed the Assembly on a 43-11 vote and heads to the Senate for final approval."
But seriously though, when working a ground support search operation, nearly all the attention of the helo observer is on the ground situation, whether visually or in using a video camera/FLIR, as well as doing all the tactical coordination over the radio. The pilot is busy with maintaining the orbit the observer needs, coordinating with ATC and/or helo common for traffic avoidance, and avoiding hitting the ground, but more importantly not hitting things attached to the ground such as wires, structures, cell towers/poles, and other towers that aren't easily seen. The time available to look for and avoid some tiny drone is minimal at best, and if one of those goes through the rotor system.....especially the weaker tail rotor....it could be disasterous.
