Military drone, in my air space, 12-o-clock, same altitude, headed toward me.

NoHeat

NoHeat

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Today, as I was flying in Class E about 10 miles East of the Palmdale CA airport, talking to nobody and listening only to Guard and hearing nothing, there was an aircraft that showed up on ADS-B, turning to head my way. Then I spotted it as it approached, and it passed me, rather fast, at well less than a mile, at exactly my altitude, headed the opposite direction.

It was a military-style drone, with inverted V-shaped wings. Big. Maybe a Predator, I’m not sure.

I did not know that I was going to be sharing airspace with a military drone at 8500’. Okay, the sectional chart says something right there, but being a rube from the Midwest I still did not expect it.

And I sure wish the operator would keep his distance, and obey the hemispheric VFR rules, which he was not. And why are they in my airspace and not in the restricted space just across the valley, anyway?
 
Flight following is a good idea in the Antelope Valley.

I've had Joshua Approach tell me about UAVs, UAVs in formation with other aircraft, even an F-117 (like I could even see that, right? :p )
 
I often find themselves around me here.. once even flew in the pattern with a predator. it was cool to watch and all, but I don't want to seem them like you described
 
Same thing happened to me in the same area around 2005, but I was talking to Joshua Approach with flight following (and of course no ADS-B). I had departed WJF in Lancaster after refueling headed for PSP at 7,500 and heard Joshua call someone with a bizarre call sign and tell them there was a 172 eastbound (that would be me) "at your altitude", two miles at twelve o'clock. A female voice replied that she had the traffic "on the fishfinder." I later found out it was a drone pilot sitting at a console in an air conditioned trailer at Edwards AFB.

I'm glad I was using flight following.
 
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El Mirage airport in the lower right corner of that sectional snip is owner by General Atomics. They fly a lot of drones from there.
 
Croomrider said:
What difference did it make? The controller warned the drone pilot, not you!
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My point is that transponders weren't required in that area for VFR flights. If I hadn't been using flight following with a mode C transponder on, neither Joshua nor the drone operator's "fish finder" would have seen me. As it was, I was on frequency and heard Joshua call me out to the operator.
 
SkyDog58 said:
El Mirage airport in the lower right corner of that sectional snip is owner by General Atomics. They fly a lot of drones from there.
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Yes, and indeed that’s within a few miles of where I encountered the drone flying too close to me, at the wrong hemispheric altitude.

What I don’t understand is why they don’t instead operate out of the restricted area that’s at the top of that snip. And why didn’t the AOPA fight this bad practice?
 
NoHeat said:
Today, as I was flying in Class E about 10 miles East of the Palmdale CA airport, talking to nobody and listening only to Guard and hearing nothing, there was an aircraft that showed up on ADS-B, turning to head my way. Then I spotted it as it approached, and it passed me, rather fast, at well less than a mile, at exactly my altitude, headed the opposite direction.

It was a military-style drone, with inverted V-shaped wings. Big. Maybe a Predator, I’m not sure.

I did not know that I was going to be sharing airspace with a military drone at 8500’. Okay, the sectional chart says something right there, but being a rube from the Midwest I still did not expect it.

And I sure wish the operator would keep his distance, and obey the hemispheric VFR rules, which he was not. And why are they in my airspace and not in the restricted space just across the valley, anyway?
Click to expand...

“Turning to head my way.” What’s the hemispheric VFR rule for turning aircraft? Did you see it long enough to know it was established in level flight going the wrong way? The Sectional does say something right there. CAUTION in bold letters and what to do it about it. These NOTAM’s have been in briefing’s I’ve had flying through that area and I have done it a lot.

PMD 03/3024 AIRSPACE UAS WI AN AREA DEFINED AS 5NM EITHER SIDE OF A LINE FM PMD061001 TO PMD054011 SFC-12000FT 1803291300-PERM

VCV 01/1013 AIRSPACE UNMANNED ACFT WITHIN AN AREA DEFINED AS VCV270019 TO VCV360018 TO VCV090010 TO VCV180006 TO POINT OF ORIGIN SFC-13000FT 1501271648-PERM
 
Had a MQ-9 following us into SYR yesterday. They have CAP escorts between the airport and the MOA up here. Or maybe the drone is escorting the CAP plane in case they get lost or scared or something. Can’t have them late for marching practice.
 
SkyDog58 said:
El Mirage airport in the lower right corner of that sectional snip is owner by General Atomics. They fly a lot of drones from there.
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And Gray Butte. Story. My son is a LA County Firefighter/Medic. They get a call out to there. Someone needs the medics. Don’t remember if it was an injury, heart attack or what ever. The don’t let them in there. They drive the patient to the gate and hand him off there
 
Groundpounder said:
Had a MQ-9 following us into SYR yesterday. They have CAP escorts between the airport and the MOA up here. Or maybe the drone is escorting the CAP plane in case they get lost or scared or something. Can’t have them late for marching practice.
Click to expand...

That happens all the time, the CAP escort it to the drum MOA/restricted
 
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