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Comment by omegant

Well fair enough, I was talking about commercial pilots reports in final approach or take off. I guess that VFR flights are going to be less precise, also VFR flights are more probable to flight themselves in to a zone where drones can be flown legally. They are going to be sharing airspace much more than drones and airliners.

I haven't seen a drone yet, I do have like 12 or so laser reports under my belt. They are annoying (mostly kids being "funny") but not that dangerous, it's impossible for a person to track perfectly the cockpit at the speed and distance we are traveling for them, so you only get to see a short red or green flash and the laser beam moving around.

I eventually expect to have some air-miss with drones from dumb plane spotters or a guy that's taking some video from above without realizing that he is in a final approach zone. Not a big worry right now for me, my friends or other pilots I fly with.

But take into account that just a drone strike in an engine can cost more than 1 million dollars in repairs, or up to 5 or 6 of an entire engine depending on the damage. Plus the losses and delays caused by the plane being grounded for some days. Also although much more unprovable, it can lead to a crash or at least a runway excursion while landing, or total hull loss once stopped on the ground and with passengers evacuated, due to an unextinguished engine fire.

parent omegant 11 years ago

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