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Mysterious 'drone' sighting near JFK Airport sparks FAA investigation
Daily Mail ^ | March 5, 2013 | Thomas Durante

Posted on 03/05/2013 8:28:11 AM PST by Seizethecarp

A possible drone sighting near JFK Airport has led to a federal investigation after a pilot spotted the unknown flying object as he landed a commercial jet yesterday.

The Alitalia pilot was in his final approach into JFK over Brooklyn, New York, just after 1pm when he saw something hovering about 200 feet away.

Sources told the New York Post that the 'drone' was black in color, and had helicopter rotors on its corners.

The FAA said that all flights landed without incident, and the agency is currently investigating. The Post reported that the Joint Terrorism Task Force is also taking a look into the sighting.

In a statement to CNN yesterday, FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said: 'The FAA is investigating a report... He saw a small, unmanned or remote-controlled aircraft while on final approach to Runway 31 Right.'

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; US: New York; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: dhs; drone; faa; jfkdrone; quadcopter
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To: The Great RJ

“Many RC planes are made of materials that would not reflect radar and may also be too small to be detected by radar. I am sure terrorists are aware of this and are looking at means of arming these drones.”

ATC radar looks for transponder codes.


21 posted on 03/05/2013 10:36:30 AM PST by dljordan (Voltaire: "To find out who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.")
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To: UCANSEE2

You know that whole segment was fake right?


22 posted on 03/05/2013 12:00:10 PM PST by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: The Great RJ

“Many RC planes are made of materials that would not reflect radar and may also be too small to be detected by radar. I am sure terrorists are aware of this and are looking at means of arming these drones.”

Here is a link describing how a home-grown Islamist arrested by the FBI in 2011 has already attempted to arm hobby GPS-guided drones, which could have been redirected to attack US VIPs:

“Rezwan Ferdaus could have attacked Obama’s Air Force One in a runway kill zone (RKZ) not unlike JFK’s Dealey Plaza”

http://runwaykillzone.com/2012/01/15/rezwan-ferdaus-could-have-attacked-obamas-air-force-one-in-a-runway-kill-zone-rkz-not-unlike-jfks-dealey-plaza/

Here is a Huffpo title (I won’t provide link) about a top US general general speculating recently in a public forum that Islamists will be attacking us with drones soon:

“Armed Drones Could Target President: Former U.S. Intelligence Chief”

‘WASHINGTON — As the technology for arming drones spreads around the world, terrorists could use the unmanned, missile-firing aircraft to attack and kill the president and other U.S. leaders, the former chief of U.S. intelligence said Tuesday.

“Retired Adm. Dennis Blair, who served as President Obama’s first director of national intelligence, told reporters he was concerned that the proliferation of armed drones — a potential outgrowth of the U.S. reliance on drones to attack and kill terrorists — could well backfire.

“’I do fear that if al Qaeda can develop a drone, its first thought will be to use it to kill our president, and senior officials and senior officers,’ Blair said during a conference call with reporters. “It is possible without a great deal of intelligence to do something with a drone you cannot do with a high-powered rifle or driving a car full of explosives and other ways terrorists now use to try killing senior officials,’ he said.”

The Huffpo article references a comment embedded at this event:

“U.S. Drone Strike Policies”

http://www.cfr.org/counterterrorism/us-drone-strike-policies/p29849


23 posted on 03/05/2013 12:04:21 PM PST by Seizethecarp (Defend aircraft from "runway kill zone" mini-drone helicopter swarm attacks: www.runwaykillzone.com)
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To: Count of Monte Fisto; Seizethecarp; no-to-illegals; MestaMachine; thouworm; Rushmore Rocks; ...

*

*

Ping.

. . . . TM, too.

- Mysterious ‘drone’ sighting near JFK Airport sparks FAA investigation -

Article, # 15 , # 20 , # 21 .

Related:

- Obama Shares Data on Drones and Libya as Brennan Vote Nears -
New York Times ^ | March 5, 2013 | SCOTT SHANE

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2993742/posts

.


24 posted on 03/05/2013 12:31:28 PM PST by LucyT (In the 20th century 260 million people were killed by their own governments.)
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To: Seizethecarp

The report I heard on the news was that the flying object was observed at about 1,500 feet. I think that might be a tad far for an average RC transmitter.........If not, then the hobbyist/operater was likely directly underneath it while flying it and will probably be caught.


25 posted on 03/05/2013 12:39:50 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (This space for rent)
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To: JOAT
Oh yes, I 'anticipate' the government will 'need' this and will soon outlaw serfs operating unmanned toys under the premise 'Islamists' (who they love in reality) might attack an aircraft.

That.

26 posted on 03/05/2013 1:07:13 PM PST by bgill
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To: conservativebabe

I heard his tease about that, but got to my destination, thought I missed it. Even checked Blaze later, nothing at that time- But now, this-
“It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States.”

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/05/revealed-holder-letter-leaves-open-possibility-of-drone-strikes-on-u-s-soil/


27 posted on 03/05/2013 2:13:08 PM PST by matthew fuller (Fast and Furious fizzled- Enter Sandy Hook.)
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To: McGruff

LOL


28 posted on 03/05/2013 2:32:00 PM PST by Slyfox (Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused to licentiousness -G Wash.)
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To: Hot Tabasco

A mini-drone flew across the Atlantic on autopilot using GPS waypoints, so 1,500 feet is not a problem for the new DIY GPS drones that it would be with old-fashioned RC drones.


29 posted on 03/05/2013 4:06:13 PM PST by Seizethecarp (Defend aircraft from "runway kill zone" mini-drone helicopter swarm attacks: www.runwaykillzone.com)
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To: Hot Tabasco

“The report I heard on the news was that the flying object was observed at about 1,500 feet.”

Tonight on Fox News it was reported that the Alitalia pilot said the quad-copter was “hovering” at 1,500 feet...within a few 100 feet of the airliner landing glide path.

The appearance is of a terrorist attempt to collide the drone with a descending airliner rather than an innocent RC fly-by. A GPS-guided drone could be directed to go to a three-dimensional waypoint in the runway approach at 1,500 ft. with the worst case event being the drone getting sucked into an engine causing an possible uncontrolled descent.

Imagine a swarm of such quad-copters hovering in a take-off or landing pattern...

(If you haven’t checked my tagline for months now...this story appears to reflect my worst fears)


30 posted on 03/05/2013 5:53:53 PM PST by Seizethecarp (Defend aircraft from "runway kill zone" mini-drone helicopter swarm attacks: www.runwaykillzone.com)
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To: Seizethecarp
From Fox News the report was about a 5 mile final to Runway 31 Right, JFK Airport, somewhere around the obstruction at 355 feet MSL.
My best guess would be somewhere around Harbor Isle. Island Park, Barnum Island, or Lido Beach, or somewhere over Brosewere Bay.
We need a better description of the drone, but if it was small and black, the pilot and copilot would have been pretty busy in the cockpit, configuring the aircraft for landing.


br

31 posted on 03/05/2013 6:37:54 PM PST by Yosemitest (It's Simple ! Fight, ... or Die !)
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To: LucyT

ping to:

comment #30: Alitalia pilot claim that the drone was “hovering”

comment #31 a pilot’s JFK airport map giving possible drone location


32 posted on 03/05/2013 6:52:13 PM PST by Seizethecarp (Defend aircraft from "runway kill zone" mini-drone helicopter swarm attacks: www.runwaykillzone.com)
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To: Durus
You know that whole segment was fake right?

No more fake than any other Youtube Video, or TV show, or Movie.

I'm not sure which 'part' you are referring to as fake. It really matters little to me, as the whole point is that it can be done by the average joe.

Here's another clever 'remote control' device, and it is real.


33 posted on 03/06/2013 10:09:05 PM PST by UCANSEE2 (The monsters are due on Maple Street)
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To: UCANSEE2
The mock up was "flown" on wires, the "gun" is a barrel and rail from an AR with a hose stuck to the back. The "explosive rounds" used on the targets were obviously pyrotechnics on the dummies, and the explosion at the end wasn't the result of a "self-destruct" device.

Of course that is most like TV shows, YouTube videos and Movies, as in it's pure fiction. A quad rotor of that size would have a payload of approx 2 pounds (without the desert camo plastic fairing). It wouldn't be able to carry a machine gun with explosive rounds (and it wouldn't need a railed barrel even if it could) and still carry a separate self destruct explosive package.

I can go buy a quadrotor right now, as can anyone with the money. There are some really cool things that can be done with them, but not what was shown in this video.

34 posted on 03/07/2013 6:44:49 AM PST by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)
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To: Durus
There are some really cool things that can be done with them, but not what was shown in this video.

Thanks for the response and info. I would not argue with you that this video was (for lack of a better word) faked, but I would argue that it can be done with real hover type remote control craft, and has.

35 posted on 03/08/2013 6:55:37 AM PST by UCANSEE2 (The monsters are due on Maple Street)
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