Drones won't knock airplanes out of sky

I am a drone owner with five models and three years experience. I am also an Air Force veteran. Most of the drones on the market today are hobbyist style models and fall in the category of 3-5 pounds, about the size and weight of a small to medium sized bird.

We have all heard that drones will knock a jet out of the sky, right? Let's check a few facts.

According to statistics from the International Civil Aviation Organization, there were over 25,000 bird strikes reported between 1988/92. Over 70 percent were strikes on large jet aircraft. Do you recall hearing about 25,000 aircraft crashes in that time frame? I don't. Every once in a while we do get a report that a jet goes down when it hits a "flock" of birds. Last time I checked, drones don't fly in flocks, regardless of what the TV commercials show.

Large aircraft like passenger jets are certified to withstand the impact of most, but not all birds. Modern jets must be able to land safely after being struck by a four pound bird anywhere on the aircraft at normal operating speeds.

Yeah, I know that there are much larger drones, and ones that carry cameras can certainly weigh in at more than 10 pounds. Remember the price of these devices is very prohibitive for the average hobbyist. For all the hype regarding irresponsible people going to the store, purchasing a drone, flying it around in restricted air space, I am only guessing but I bet Joe Irresponsible is not going to plop down $4,000 for a toy.

We really need to put a cork in the hysteria that drones are going to cause airliners to fall from the sky.

Edward V. Thomas

Roselle