Recently think I saw a couple drones in the past week or two. So I searched on ATS and found this thread.
Living in Michigan, I was driving on I-96 (major freeway) from Grand Rapids to Detroit.
Saw this plane, rather small, white, with no front headlight but a very bright strobe and blue and red on bottom sides I believe.
Definitely a distinct strobe that was very very bright. I noticed it and watched as it flew low near me, over the freeway, then quickly turned around
and flew directly over the car. The underside is mostly what I could see (night-time), but it seemed rather rectangular and boxy. I don't really know
if this was the particular predator drone style that I've seen many pictures of.
It's flight path reminded me of an RC plane, a hobby one, except way too big for that.
I later saw the same kind of plan on the same freeway, around the same time of night.
Side note: My or may not be related, but I've seen multiple UFO's on my travels down 1/96 in my days.
Are there any other civilian drones people have seen?
Spied on by a predator drone....just another day in the desert, page 2
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reply posted on 8-2-2011 @ 03:12 AM by gariac
reply to post by skylightsintheillions
In theory, the FAA restricts where UAVs can be flown. I don't know where that data (allowed areas) resides, but the airport used for launch and recovery will have a NOTAM.
Nothing you stated indicates the aircraft is unmanned. The big clue is no windows in the cabin. ;-) If the plane looks rectangular on the bottom, often they have a cargo hull there. It could have cargo, but often has surveillance gear.
The plane most often mistaken for a UAV is a LongEZ. It doesn't match your description though. The USAF has a couple of LongEZs in their inventory as "UAV simulators." Probably to test instrumentation, but I have no evidence of that.
In theory, the FAA restricts where UAVs can be flown. I don't know where that data (allowed areas) resides, but the airport used for launch and recovery will have a NOTAM.
Nothing you stated indicates the aircraft is unmanned. The big clue is no windows in the cabin. ;-) If the plane looks rectangular on the bottom, often they have a cargo hull there. It could have cargo, but often has surveillance gear.
The plane most often mistaken for a UAV is a LongEZ. It doesn't match your description though. The USAF has a couple of LongEZs in their inventory as "UAV simulators." Probably to test instrumentation, but I have no evidence of that.
reply posted on 9-2-2011 @ 05:53 PM by skylightsintheillions
reply to post by gariac
Hmm...Well I couldn't get a view of the top well enough to say. My best view was from underneath. The way it moved reminded me most of an RC plane, but I can't say conclusively either way except that it was able to make pretty sharp turns quite quickly, although it didn't appear to be too fast.
Saw it on two different occasions however, on the same freeway. It didn't remind me though of the pictures of drones I've seen, or any other plane I've seen.
Hmm...Well I couldn't get a view of the top well enough to say. My best view was from underneath. The way it moved reminded me most of an RC plane, but I can't say conclusively either way except that it was able to make pretty sharp turns quite quickly, although it didn't appear to be too fast.
Saw it on two different occasions however, on the same freeway. It didn't remind me though of the pictures of drones I've seen, or any other plane I've seen.
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