Near Miss with Beach Baron

[PatM]

While the majority of sUAV operators are following the rules, we know there are those that don't. However, with the "Rise of the Drones" in public lore, we also see a lot of misinformation and at times in aviation; mis-identification.

I came a cross a video where a man was flying with his son and daughter to Orlando for the New Year and I saw the words "Near Miss" and watched not knowing what to expect. I watched all of it and the pilot certainly seems proficient.

The near miss happens at 8:38 in the video. The aircraft is at 5000 feet with good visibility and the object comes into view straight ahead of the nose of the aircraft and passes off to the left. This is Florida so the AGL and MSL are very close. I have paused the video and captured the object and posted the image below. Watching the video in real time it happens very quickly, and no one (in my estimation) could make a determination of what it is - in the moment. Unidentified Flying Object?

While he clearly (at the time) could not identify the object, he radioed it in as a "Drone". I also find the comments to the video interesting. So what do you guys think?

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[Kelly]

I would have to say it is a stretch calling that a drone. Even when I zoomed in on it I could not make out any arms to support props. Looks very flat on top, but not like a Phantom or a Typhoon H. Maybe some kind of fixed wing. Just not doing it for me as a drone, however, I have been wrong in the past.

 

[BigAl07]

While I could see where it "might" be a UAS I think it should be called a UFO until proven otherwise. As a Manned pilot we used to have lots of UFO's reported every month. Over the last few years the # of UFO spotting have dwindled to near zero yet ironically DRONE sightings has gone through the roof.

Here's why:

 

[Maddog]

I couldn't even see what y'all are talking about.
What drone has the battery endurance to reach that altitude and return to ground?

By the way, I like to call those "near hits". They didn't nearly miss, they did miss. What happened was they nearly hit.

Isn't the English language a funny thing?

 

[The Editor]

Bird

 

[QuadKid]

This looks like an eagle

 

[PatM]

The thing that gets me is when he sees the object he clearly admits that he doesn't know what it is, but then reports it as a drone sighting.

At 5 meters a second ascent speed and 3 meters a second decent speed, thats a round trip of 13.5 minutes - 5 and a half of which are full power climb. Not likely a drone.

However this time of year here in central Florida, on just about any clear day you can go out in the back yard and likely spot an eagle or two flying around.

 

[BigAl07]

At 5 meters a second ascent speed and 3 meters a second decent speed, thats a round trip of 13.5 minutes - 5 and a half of which are full power climb. Not likely a drone.

While there is no way I'm convinced it is or is NOT a UAS... keep in mind that we have many UAS capable of 20, 30, 40+ minute flights. Also don't discount it could have been some form of Military UAS and who knows what kind of goodies they are currently playing with.

I've got a fixed wing we can fly over 100min with but it's clearly a big white fixed wing even at speed.

 

[AH-1G]

While the majority of sUAV operators are following the rules, we know there are those that don't. However, with the "Rise of the Drones" in public lore, we also see a lot of misinformation and at times in aviation; mis-identification.

I came a cross a video where a man was flying with his son and daughter to Orlando for the New Year and I saw the words "Near Miss" and watched not knowing what to expect. I watched all of it and the pilot certainly seems proficient.

The near miss happens at 8:38 in the video. The aircraft is at 5000 feet with good visibility and the object comes into view straight ahead of the nose of the aircraft and passes off to the left. This is Florida so the AGL and MSL are very close. I have paused the video and captured the object and posted the image below. Watching the video in real time it happens very quickly, and no one (in my estimation) could make a determination of what it is - in the moment. Unidentified Flying Object?

While he clearly (at the time) could not identify the object, he radioed it in as a "Drone". I also find the comments to the video interesting. So what do you guys think?

View attachment 49

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Defiantly a bird.

 

[Josh Mentele]

It doesn't look like a drone. Anyway, I have never heard of a drone reaching 5000 feet before. That is just insane. It is almost a mile high.

My guess is that is was a bird.

 

[drummingchevy]

While I could see where it "might" be a UAS I think it should be called a UFO until proven otherwise. As a Manned pilot we used to have lots of UFO's reported every month. Over the last few years the # of UFO spotting have dwindled to near zero yet ironically DRONE sightings has gone through the roof.

Here's why:

I can definitely understand why an airplane/heli pilot would identify anything like this as a drone. As fast as the object passes in the video it would be nearly impossible to correctly identify it, and we're being constantly warned about drones in the news so it's closer to the front of our minds. Back in my flying days, I saw a few birds but that was at a lower speeds. The only thing I ever recognized in cruise was a party balloon...

 

[JDub]

For me the sad thing about this is the fact that sometime ago YouTube was a great resource for information now you have to filter through it watching sometimes a dozen videos before you find a genuine person providing real information.

It’s more like the Howard stern show, imagine the headline passed a bird on the way to New York. 5 views, but it implies this harrowing ordeal of a near miss with a drone which attracts much much more I’m sure and in the end it adds more fuel to the fire of the “kill the drone” campaign. YouTube is a pile of shiz and it’s all about subscribers and views and people have no problem spreading garbage in the crusade to get a wall plaque and a paycheck. Lol. Just my 2 cents.

 

[BigAl07]

It doesn't look like a drone. Anyway, I have never heard of a drone reaching 5000 feet before. That is just insane. It is almost a mile high.

My guess is that is was a bird.

I can assure you there have been many UAS (hobbyists included) flying over 5k' high. I'm not condoning this action but I can say without a doubt that when you get out away from the "Off the shelf" UAS units the capability to fly higher, further, and faster is not a very tough hurdle.

 

[JDub]

I can assure you there have been many UAS (hobbyists included) flying over 5k' high. I'm not condoning this action but I can say without a doubt that when you get out away from the "Off the shelf" UAS units the capability to fly higher, further, and faster is not a very tough hurdle.

I believe there is a spreadsheet or similar published on the faa site listed “drone close incounters” and there are a few that are that high and higher. Obviously these are not going to be the drones in the toy story but diy builds with larger batteries running in parallel or something.

Kind of makes me wonder if you tweak your settings in say mission planner an had large batteries combine with large props how quickly could you climb. I have always used the default settings with props that are not that aggressive. I’m the guy always in the right lane on the highway.

 

[BigAl07]

Kind of makes me wonder if you tweak your settings in say mission planner an had large batteries combine with large props how quickly could you climb. I have always used the default settings with props that are not that aggressive. I’m the guy always in the right lane on the highway.

It depends on the Flight Controller (FC) in the aircraft. Ascent and Descent rates are "coded" at a certain speed (usually) and the FC will adjust power to stay within designed parameters regardless of the props etc.

Now if you're doing DIY or a programmable FC you can really get funky and get some insane performance.

 

[Meta4]

I believe there is a spreadsheet or similar published on the faa site listed “drone close incounters” and there are a few that are that high and higher. Obviously these are not going to be the drones in the toy story but diy builds with larger batteries running in parallel or something.

And a lot aren't drones at all - but get reported as drones because there's so much publicity about drones spotted by pilots so that's what a pilot easily thinks of when he sees "something".
Once upon a time, they were UFOs. Now they are called drones.

The FAA sightings reports are available here: UAS Sightings Report
They make interesting reading.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

While the majority of sUAV operators are following the rules, we know there are those that don't. However, with the "Rise of the Drones" in public lore, we also see a lot of misinformation and at times in aviation; mis-identification.

I came a cross a video where a man was flying with his son and daughter to Orlando for the New Year and I saw the words "Near Miss" and watched not knowing what to expect. I watched all of it and the pilot certainly seems proficient.

The near miss happens at 8:38 in the video. The aircraft is at 5000 feet with good visibility and the object comes into view straight ahead of the nose of the aircraft and passes off to the left. This is Florida so the AGL and MSL are very close. I have paused the video and captured the object and posted the image below. Watching the video in real time it happens very quickly, and no one (in my estimation) could make a determination of what it is - in the moment. Unidentified Flying Object?

While he clearly (at the time) could not identify the object, he radioed it in as a "Drone". I also find the comments to the video interesting. So what do you guys think?

View attachment 49

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As a pilot, this dude seems to have way too much crap inside the cockpit occupying his attention. Fly the d-a-m-n plane!
Furthermore he is a liar; he said he didn't know what it was then reports a drone near miss to ATC. WTF?