Drone - WOW, speed at 440 kts at 400 feet 10 miles from a military base......,

..... is that legal in the UK?

Drone in near miss with RAF JET: Tornado travelling at 520mph in Suffolk risked crash


An RAF jet came within metres of hitting a drone being flown by a farmer near an airbase, a report has revealed.

The Tornado jet was travelling at almost 520mph when it passed the drone at a distance of just 22m. The jet, which was flying 10 miles from RAF Wattisham, Suffolk, did not see the smaller flying object, which was being used for an agricultural survey.

The remote-controlled aircraft was at an altitude of 100m, while the jet was at around 122m at the time.

Reporting the incident, the drone pilot said there was a high risk of collision.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority - who produced the report - safety "had been much reduced" by the near-miss on July 4.


The drone pilot said there was a high risk of collision (Image: SWNS)

The report said the proximity of the two aircraft, and the fact the pilot wasn't able to see the drone, resulted in "a significant and largely unmitigated safety risk".

It recommended that RAF Air Command use a system to be informed of anyone operating commercial drones near the base.