Beware, drone fliers, of Scotland's black-headed gulls. For they will tear your craft from Mother Nature's skies
- Reference: 1602500412
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/10/12/drone_gull_attack_scotland/
- Source link:
The remote-controlled craft, a DJI Matrice M200 quadcopter, was being flown over Stranraer Academy in Dumfries and Galloway when the avian terror struck without warning.
[1]
Click to enlarge
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch said, in a report published today, that the Matrice "was being operated commercially on a roof survey of a large building in a built-up area," an entirely routine flight, when Mother Nature struck.
"The UAS flew out on the first
survey
track before returning on the second when a gull flew over the pilot from behind and attacked it," recounted the AAIB. The drone's pilot desperately tried to take manual control of the craft as the maddened bird, perhaps offended by the unnatural flying object barging into its habitat, struck.Sadly, the pilot's valiant attempts to save the Matrice were doomed to failure because "the front right propeller was damaged in the attack." Deprived of lift, the 6.14kg drone made like Icarus and fell from the sky, landing on the building's roof.
The pilot "had not experienced this level of aggression before and noted that it was one of the black-headed gulls in the area which had attacked," with the AAIB providing a reference photo of said Chroicocephalus ridibundus , just in case any other winged psychopaths of a similar feather decided to have a go at future drone flights.
Back in August, in what some Americans interpreted as a sign of divine intervention, a bald eagle – the country's national animal – [2]terminated a DJI Phantom 4 with extreme prejudice , but not before the drone was able to beam precise data about its downfall back to its operators. ®
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[1] https://regmedia.co.uk/2020/10/09/black-headed-gull-4214432_1280.jpg
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2020/08/14/michigan_drone_killer_eagle/
[3] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Once upon and Lands End...
I'm off down there later this week. I'll keep an eye out for the cheeky feathered bar steward, and if I see him I'll offer up an alka-seltzer loaded pasty!
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Re: Once upon and Lands End...
Calcium carbide sandwiches were the traditional offering. Must be illegal now.
Re: Once upon and Lands End...
> Calcium carbide sandwiches were the traditional offering. Must be illegal now.es were the traditional offering. Must be illegal now.
I've been told that soft brown sugar and live yeast mixed together is the thing to use against cockroaches. Apparently they can't fart so as the yeast ferments inside their gut they eventually burst. Their fellow cockroaches then feed on the remains and the yeast continues to do its work.
Re: Once upon and Lands End...
Gulls: winged pirates.
Re: Once upon and Lands End...
Far too prosaic, "sky-rats" is more apposite.
Re: Once upon and Lands End...
In the world of gulls, food isn't yours till it is down your gullet.
C'mon the burds!
Just need to arm them with lasers.
See you!
Yer no flyin' in ma sky wi'oot aksin' furst!
Yellow
Apparently gulls don't like yellow, which is why you can get yellow covers for some AU. And in some parts of town here the council provides yellow bin bags to stop them being ripped open by seagulls. Unfortunately, I don't know how effective this deterrent is.
Re: Yellow
I wonder if this one had transparent panels and the drone's circuitry was exposed?
Well we all know what gulls are like at going for chips...
Bigger birds have bigger targets
Hear tell recently of a pilot in a single seat glider who had a large eagle crash through the canopy. He was left with no canopy and 3 kilos of extremely pissed off eagle in his lap. This took him a little while to resolve. Bird and human both survived, somewhat chastised.
Re: Bigger birds have bigger targets
Paragliders often fly in the company of vultures; sometimes the vultures don't look where they're going: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N65ALqiBW_o
“In The Company of Vultures”
What a really good title for fairy tale movie.
Set in a Central European forest perhaps?
Re: “In The Company of Vultures”
Or more it would be a good title for the pre-covid pub lecture get-togethers that this fine rag organised for our delectation, delight and even occasional education?
Hmmm...
That pic's not of a black _backed_ gull; it doesn't, well, have a black back. It could be a black _headed_ gull.
Jokes about overly hormoned teenagers will be treated with the contempt they deserve.
Re: Hmmm...
Story refers to Black-headed throughout, even to the extent of quoting the correct taxon.
Soo....
...look forward to Gulls vs Amazon. Revenge of the birds.
BASH Strikes
Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard - the number one cause of all aircraft problems since the dawn of time. It was just a matter of time for smaller aircraft like drones to catch-up....
Chipzkrieg
Never take chips to Linlithgow Loch because the gulls have allied with the swans. The gulls will swarm dive bomb you (Ju87 Stukas) while simultaneously the swans run at you with wings extended (Panzer tanks). I suspect the ducks may be informers too. They do communicate - if one bird spots chips then they alert the other species to the target.
OTOH, if you are stuck with a tourist you don't like then buy them a bag of chips and walk them around the palace, at a slight distance.
Once upon and Lands End...
Some form of gull once nicked a whole steak and ale pasty from me at Land End. Wrapper and all the feathered bastard!!!!