Originally Posted by
Jzlerner
So you're telling me that you have experienced this situation? A drone flying within 100m of the aircraft (as the OP described if I remember correctly). If that's the case presumably you would report it to ATC. ATC would then do what? Business as usual? I highly doubt that.
Yes, I have had a drone closer than that, in fact the CAA classed it an act of God that it didn't hit the aircraft. It was on climb out on a Brookmans Park departure, level at 6000ft at 250 knows IAS, it slipped over the right wing, it looked to be about the size of a football. The energy if an impact would have been quite large. We believe it got swept over the wing after "bouncing" on the air as it was rising over the wing.
So yes it happens and note often than youd think.
It is also possible that it was something else. So your eyes see stuff and your brain processes that information and puts it in a model you can comprehend. It is perfectly possible that the OP saw something else and believes they saw a drone ( and quite probably did) but is also possible that it was something else and that has been subconsciously translated into a drone.
Personally I have no reason to distrust the OPs report and from personal experience of Heathrow do not think its that unusual.
It is also worth nothing we are frequrntly warned of drone sightings by ATC on approach to LHR. These report are passed on from pilots who have seen the darmed things as they flew the approach, the LGW thing was a different set of circumstances