Drones in 4 near-misses at major UK airports, air investigators reveal

Airline pilots have called for a clampdown on drones, warning of potential disaster after 4 separate near-miss incidents at UK airports were reported in a single month, including one in a passenger jet taking off from London Stansted. The pilots have called for urgent action after the 4 “category A” incidents in which a serious risk of a collision occurred. Pilots believe that a collision with an airliner could be catastrophic, and that the impact of a drone strike on a light plane or helicopter would almost certainly bring those aircraft down. Balpa warned that the number of incidents could soar as people fly drones received as Christmas presents, often with little or no handling experience or understanding of the rules. Nearly 300,000 civilian drones were registered in US in 30 days. <br/>