Many general aviation pilots are coming to terms that they’ll have to share the National Airspace System with an ever-growing number of drones and many of are not happy about it.
A news story by the Associated Press shows that these pilots are not alone.
In his July 12, 2024, story, “On NYC beaches, angry birds fight drones patrolling for sharks and struggling swimmers,” Jake Offenhartz reports that a fleet of drones patrolling New York City’s beaches for signs of sharks and struggling swimmers is drawing backlash from an aggressive group of seaside residents: Birds.
“Since the drones began flying in May, flocks of birds have repeatedly swarmed the devices, forcing the police department and other city agencies to adjust their flight plans,” he reports.
The story also quotes Veronica Welsh, a wildlife coordinator at the Parks Department, who notes the birds were “very annoyed by the drones” from the moment they arrived on the beach.
“They will fly at it, they’ll swoop at it, they’ll be vocalizing,” Welsh said. “They think they’re defending their chicks from a predator.”
Check out the full story here, which includes several photos of the drones and the birds at the beach.
Evidently y’all like drones so there you go
That’s going to be interesting because, unless it’s changed, the transit E-W below JFK is the shoreline at 500’ and below. That means birds, drones and airplanes all in the same space…. Someone’s gonna get hurt! I was a USCG helo pilot out of Floyd Bennet ‘80-85 and GA pilot from the 70’s.