I know drones. This sounds like something else

I’m well versed in building and flying drones, both fixed-wing and multi-rotor variety.
This recent article (to me) describes incursions into restricted airspace near a large nuclear power facility by swarms of “4 foot” drones.

Read for yourself and discuss please. Understand that owning and flying a multi rotor craft of four foot size is not something many people can afford to do, let alone swarms.

www.forbes.com...

Nice catch.

I have never owned anything bigger than a Tello drone.

I'm not aware of any consumer drone that can go for 80+ minutes on one charge. The article mentions a military drone with 70 minutes of flight time but the guard reported that it hovered over the site for 80 minutes and then you have to factor in the time it took to get to the site and then return afterwards.

You would think if it were humans that they would have been cautious enough not to trespass two nights in a row over the same installation. Also, if it were humans it seems like they haven't acted (yet) on whatever information that they may have collected.

Reads more like another UFO sighting over a nuclear facility to me, IMO

a reply to: 3sixand9

UFO and alien invasions sound a little to easy to go to as a catch-all. I don't buy that.

Everyone one this board knows that there is technology way beyond what they let us know about. If the military admits to having drones with a 70 minute range, then I think we can safely assume that somewhere somebody up the food chain has developed technology that can do more than that.

So, that points to actors with big connections. The use of drones by surveyors to build three-dimensional representations of facilities is the only logical explanation that I can think of. Can't imagine why "aliens" would want that, anyway. Somebody wanted the information and will do something with it.

Chinese actors? My best guess.

a reply to: DanByers

It's a well known "thing" that Nuclear installations "regularly" get visited by unexplained flying stuff. Even beforre drones were around.

But they seems to forget that every time it happens.. and sure, blaming drones is the new normal.

I always liked this one:



Edit: Hmm it might be not a nuclear plant.. oh well, still like it.

Yes, professional drones, properly licensed hobbyists for example, can fly things with a big diameter, 1 to 2 metres from tip to tip. Getting struck in the head by a DJI Phantom is one thing, but one of these pro drones would probably slice your head off. I know them mostly from photographic / filming services. I don't know why regular people would fly the large ones, but as they are generally modded and beefed up, it's going to appeal to someone.

Camera crews or drones acting as a "rig" are much larger than consumer/prosumer drones. Videos of that guy riding on top of a large drone aren't far off, especially if you're trying to fly a cinema camera. They can be modded, too, I assume, with who-knows-what battery technology (better than we get at consumer level, I'm sure) and I think I've heard of one in the air for about 90 minutes (perhaps using 3 batteries that provide 30 mins each, with some custom made circuitry to switch them over as they lose power, etc).

I'm not sure about the items described in the article, but I do think the parameters it mentions could quite easily describe a photographic drone or "professional" hobbyist build of one (or surveyor drone as mentioned by icoserv though I don't know much about those). My friend had a huge one. That doesn't right, but you know what I mean... Wingspan about the same as me holding both arms out. I use consumer drones for some filming, I fly Mavic Pro a nice small one and I have a DJI Phantom 3 (wing span not even a full arm length) but even that I feel will knock someone out if I'm not careful so don't really fly it But when I've considered going "more professional" or using a service that is, there are some real beasts out there. Hobbyists can do crazy things with whatever their hobby is... just think of the overpowered PC or car we all know that friend has, etc...

The Gatwick drones also had some curious characteristics, mostly flight time also (but no real mention of size). If you saw one of the bigger ones I think you'd know it. That said the Gatwick incident is a messy puzzle that I think includes a lot of misidentification of other craft (planes, helicopters etc). In England, certain laws have led (I think) to a decrease of the large drones, certainly in the hobby space (it's why my friend previously mentioned ended up selling all of his) and is limited almost entirely now to photographic stuff as you need an enhanced operating license. But in countries (perhaps USA) where the hobbyist drone enthusiast still has certain freedoms, they might have the capacity to pull off what's described in the article.

Or it's aliens, that's also a valid option.

a reply to: DanByers

Some agency trying out some new toys...

It won't be long before people start attempting to shoot drones down, the mistaken identification of objects in the sky will become disastrous at some point.

a reply to: markymint
Yes, “conventional” multi-rotor technology has even been scaled up to those able to carry men.

But the article repeatedly mentions swarms. Show me anywhere you have seen more than a single 4 foot sized multi-rotor together in one place. Let alone sent in “missions” over restricted airspace.