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American politicians are considering new legislation that would allow authorities to intercept or shut down drones that get too close to airports. The Senate passed the measures, part of a general aviation bill, in response to rising concerns about drone safety. It follows a suspected collision between a drone and a British Airways plane near London's Heathrow airport. Police said the suspected drone had struck an inbound Airbus A320. Start-ups are already lining up to offer solutions to the problem.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) reauthorization legislation, passed by the Senate, could also pave the way for the commercial deployment of drones in national airspace, but comes with several safety caveats.
Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat from Florida, introduced these safety features, warning that a drone sucked into a jet engine could render it inoperable or start an explosion. The bill also contains new rules that would force commercial airlines to keep flight-critical systems separate from in-flight entertainment systems in the wake of concerns that hackers could remotely take control of aircraft. The bill will now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.
In the UK, the British Aviation Authority told the BBC that, in the wake of the suspected collision between a drone and a passenger jet, "stronger regulation and enforcement action must be a priority for the government, to ensure that the airspace around British airports remains amongst the safest in the world. Anyone operating an unmanned aerial vehicle has an obligation to know the rules and ensure they are capable of operating it safely. Doing so in proximity to an airfield or aircraft is both illegal and clearly irresponsible."
It has not been confirmed that the plane was hit by a drone, with transport minister Robert Goodwill telling parliament that "there's some speculation it may have even been a plastic bag or something".
Current rules state that drones must:
be visible at all timesDrones will be banned from flying in large parts of London during the visit of President Barack Obama from 21 April through 24 April 2016, according to the BBC:
be flown below four hundred feet
not be flown over congested areas
those fitted with cameras should not be flown within fifty meters of people, vehicles, or buildings.
Drones will be banned from flying in large parts of London during the visit of President Barack Obama, aviation officials have announced. The restrictions on drones, which are remotely-controlled, unmanned aircraft, will apply between 0900 BST on Thursday and 2230 on Sunday.
The ban also extends between London and Windsor, where the President will have lunch with the Queen. Authorities said it was a routine ban, similar to those used at sports events. It comes after a London-bound flight is believed to have hit a drone on Sunday.
Detectives launched an investigation after the pilot of the British Airways flight approaching Heathrow reported his aircraft being hit by a drone.
Police say the drone was being flown near the area of Richmond Park in south-west London.
Announcing the restrictions, the UK's National Air Traffic Service said they were part of an "overarching security plan" for the visit of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
Drones will be banned from flying over a large part of the capital, extending from Purley in the south to Haringey in the north.
Restrictions are in place between Windsor and London when the Obamas lunch at Windsor Castle. The ban also extends between Stansted Airport and the capital on Thursday night and Sunday morning.
The Civil Aviation Authority says drones can usually be flown up to four hundred feet.
However, the regulations ban aircraft from flying below eight hundred meters, unless they are using Heathrow, Stansted, or London City airports.
Aircraft at London Heliport, RAF Northolt, and those being operated by the emergency services are to be excluded. The restrictions also apply to "any small balloon, any kite weighing more than two kilograms, any small unmanned aircraft and any parachute" in the relevant areas.
Similar rules have previously been introduced for high-profile visits and major sporting fixtures, including the London Olympics in 2012 and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Drones were recently banned at the Super Bowl.
The Obamas' visit to the UK stay is part of a tour including Saudi Arabia and Germany.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry will host the couple on Friday, Kensington Palace has said. The President will also stage a press conference with Prime Minister David Cameron.
Tech start-up SkySafe has recently unveiled technology that allows law enforcement agencies to hijack a drone's controls and neutralize it. "We take full control of the drone from the operator, it sees us as the legitimate controller, and we can move it to a safe location and land it," co-founder Grant Jordan told The Verge tech news website.
Tech firm Battelle has released a radio jammer, dubbed Drone Defender, which also allows users to steal control of a drone from its owner. The device can currently only be used by government agencies.
In Japan, in response to a drone that landed a tiny piece of radioactive sand on the roof of the home of the Japanese prime minister, unmanned vehicles with nets have been deployed to catch rogue devices.
The UK's Metropolitan Police has said that it is considering using eagles to intercept drones, following trials in the Netherlands, where Dutch police are training eagles to grab illegal drones out of the sky:
Rico says it's a technological solution to a social problem, but convicting drone operators is harder...
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