Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Swoop on October 19, 2007, 02:12:37 AM
-
Erratic fleshies sabotage, wreck innocent flying robot
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/18/human_pilots_cause_flying_robot_predator_crash/
American air-safety authorities have issued a lengthy list of new recommendations regarding the operation of flying robots in US airspace, following the crash of a Predator drone on border-patrol duties last year.
The wrecked sky-droid was a Predator B, a large high-flying turboprop with a 65-foot wingspan which is known as the "Reaper" in the US Air Force service. Combat-equipped Reapers can carry as many as 14 Hellfire missiles, each capable of destroying a tank. In addition, the aircraft's surveillance radar can sweep vast acreages of ground in seconds, picking out any moving man-sized target for closer analysis by telescopic thermal camera.
The US armed forces have lost many unmanned aircraft in combat theatres overseas, but these crashes don't fall under the jurisdiction of civil regulators, and the details seldom become public. However, on April 25 2006, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - nowadays an agency of the musclebound Department of Homeland Security - had an unarmed Predator-B aloft near Nogales in Arizona, keeping an eye out for anyone with sinister yearnings to breathe free along the Mexican border. After a sequence of mishaps, the five-ton machine crashed into the desert at around four in the morning local time.
Very full details are available from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) here. In brief, the problems started when the remote console from which the aircraft was being controlled "locked up". The aircraft continued to fly along happily, and indeed a CBP agent who was handling the camera at the system's other console seems to have carried on doing so.
However, the pilot wanted to regain control and decided to take over the CBP agent's console and switch command of the Predator to that. When piloting is switched between consoles, a certain lever changes its function from control of the camera iris to control of the fuel feed to the aircraft's engine. Apparently, the pilot failed to follow the changeover procedure properly, and the lever was left set in its middle position. This meant that as soon as the console took over the Predator, the engine shut down.
The Fall of The Machines
The pilot failed to realise that he had turned off the engine, but did notice that the aircraft was descending. He decided to turn off the control console altogether, hoping that the loss of a control signal would cause the Predator to go into fallback mode, in which it is supposed to climb autonomously to a safe height and fly a pre-planned route until it gets further orders.
However, the robot couldn't do this as its power had been cut off. Another pilot, who knew more about Predators, came in and spotted that the lever was in the wrong position at once, but attempts to get back in contact with the Predator and power it up were fruitless (this was because it had by now descended too low for radio comms, but the pilots didn't know this for sure).
Apparently, the aircraft's radar transponder also cut off following the loss of electric power from the engine. This caused several hours of panic for local air-traffic control as the pilots thought their aircraft was still flying in fallback mode and nobody could now see it on radar. In fact the Predator had crashed by now, but nobody knew that for sure owing to the genius-like decisions to first switch off the engine and then shut down the controls and communications.
Some people are seeing all this as an indication that unmanned aircraft aren't safe enough to fly in civil airspace. Another way of looking at it is that the pilots are the problem, and the sooner we get rid of them the better.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
-
Originally posted by Swoop
However, on April 25 2006, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - nowadays an agency of the musclebound Department of Homeland Security - had an unarmed Predator-B aloft near Nogales in Arizona, keeping an eye out for anyone with sinister yearnings to breathe free along the Mexican border. After a sequence of mishaps, the five-ton machine crashed into the desert at around four in the morning local time.
liberal drivel
-
Huh?
You're saying that the statement that a US customs predator crashed in Arizona is liberal drivel? Or are you referring to the 'sinister yearnings' comment? Which is made for comedy effect......article written by a Brit.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
-
I have no doubt the thing crashed. That other crap detracted from the story in my opinion.
-
What other crap?
Seriously.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
-
keeping an eye out for anyone with sinister yearnings to breathe free along the Mexican border
that crap, wtf is so hard to figure out here?
-
Don't bother Swoop. I think you hit a nerve.
-
And wtf is so hard to understand that it's a sarcastic comment.
Oh wait, of course, you're a yank and don't get sarcasm. Silly me.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
-
Originally posted by Swoop
And wtf is so hard to understand that it's a sarcastic comment.
Oh wait, of course, you're a yank and don't get sarcasm. Silly me.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
Swoop, you might want to stop while you are ahead. The more you type, the more you look like an ass. Your story was good, it had valid points. However, it was the Govt bashing in your post that made it look like pointless, left wing drivel.
-
There you go, I knew the true colors would come out.:aok
Sorry if I dont think a whole lot of your goofy website with its articles on "U.S. kill droids" " U.S.A.F flying death bots" or "The US Customs service has announced plans to acquire a fleet of five tonne flying death droids, to supplement its already terrifying arsenal of all-seeing "Eye of Sauron" Wi-Fi radar towers, handheld puke rayguns, and airport mind-probes."
What about the Cylons? Where should we hide John Connor from the T-1000?
I got to go, the "Eye of Sauron Wi-Fi tower" just looked this way and I fear an impending mind probe.
-
I'm gonna choose to believe that neither of you are that stupid and this is a wind up.
Good one. Really had me there for a minute.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
-
(http://bestqualitywallpapers.com/Games/Terminator.jpg)
Have a nice day.
-
Originally posted by Slash27
keeping an eye out for anyone with sinister yearnings to breathe free along the Mexican border
that crap, wtf is so hard to figure out here?
Agreed. I noticed that too
Seems to me Mexico is a pretty free naton too
Also...
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - nowadays an agency of the musclebound Department of Homeland Security
Though Im not exactly what one could call an advocate of the patriot act or the Dept of homeland security in its current form.
Those two lines alone make it blatently obvious that this wasnt written without bias.
-
i see lack of pilot training.
-
The DHS isn't powerful? ok.
And you guys are reading far too much into a comment made for comedy effect to a British audience.
If you like, remove the "with sinister yearnings" line and replace with "it was patrolling the border for illegal immigrants". There. Better? Not as humorous IMO but ok.
The story, and bias, here....aside from the author appearing to be mildly anti-American and a little piss-takingly insulting to US Customs drone pilots, is about the US air safety authorities producing guidelines for remote drones due to this incident.
I'm waiting now for someone to notice the final line of the article and actually think the author is serious.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
-
swoop, quit annoying the patriots, sheesh. by the way how much is air costing in ewekay currently.
-
Originally posted by Swoop
Erratic fleshies sabotage, wreck innocent flying robot
anyone with sinister yearnings to breathe free
the genius-like decisions
the sooner we get rid of them the better.
Pure, ignorant comedy gold. Fools gold, but gold nonetheless. What a tard. I'm thinking he either never leaves his mum's house or he flies first class. Either way, the thrust of his "comedic inputs" makes it clear that he's trying to make a political statement on a subject he doesn't know much about.
Ignorant twit.
-
Is it Lester from The Reg?
-
Perhaps Swoop and Dowding might feel more inclined to laugh at this "sarcasm" a bit later when they are screaming for help as the wonderous legal aliens they have allowed in to make their country more diversified, turn it into an Islamic state and they lose their last two or three freedoms...
Seems kinda funny to me. :lol
-
Wadda ya mean "when"?
You're a bit late.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
-
like I said, laugh away. I know I am.
-
Originally posted by Swoop
..........And you guys are reading far too much into a comment made for comedy effect to a British audience.
..........I'm waiting now for someone to notice the final line of the article and actually think the author is serious.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
Well, is it comedy or is it serious journalism???
-
He's taking the p***, Eagl. I don't think it was meant to be a considered article on "the political ramifications of immigration control using un-piloted craft, including the suitability of such equipment in a civilian setting, and the effect on the professional pilot community". If it was, the gnashing of teeth wouldn't look as silly.
Calm down, old bean.
-
Wait!
Does this mean that there's a mexican kid out there running around with a predator nose cone for a hat?
Johnny is not pleased! No he is not!!
-
Dammit Swoop! This BBS is for serious matters only! How dare you even think that one sided sniping sarcasm has any place here? My god man!
-
I know. silly me.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-8/48257/Swoop2.gif)
-
Originally posted by midnight Target
Dammit Swoop! This BBS is for serious matters only! How dare you even think that one sided sniping sarcasm has any place here? My god man!
right....:rolleyes:
-
This forum makes me laugh. Grown men in here say something stupid and rather than take their lumps like a man, they fall back on the "I was only joking", "I was fishing", defense.
Swoop I have lost a lot of respect for you. This thread you started was nothing more that a political temper tantrum. Your post would have had some valid points if it wasn't seething with hatred for our system of govt at every corner.