A local couple has been arrested in connection with drone attacks at Gatwick airport in London that disturbed thousands of aircraft in the UK during a 24-hour period this week, but those who know the middle-aged man and woman have expressed doubts that they would have been involved, reports the telegraph.
Paul Gait, 47, and his wife, Elaine Kirk, 54, from Crawley, West Sussex, England, were arrested by the Sussex police on December 21, The Telegraph reported. Gait's boss at the window he has been working for several years, told Gait, who worked at the time of the drone attacks, saying he would be shocked if he had anything to do with the events. John Allard told The Telegraph that Gait had previously flown drowning as a hobby, but has never gone into trouble with the law. He said Gait's wife, Elaine Kirk, has never shown interest in flying drones.
The authorities said the man and woman were arrested with suspicion of disrupting the airline's civil aviation services in order to threaten or likely jeopardize the safety of people's operations. The law is part of the Aviation Safety Act of 1990. If they were found guilty of that crime, they could be sentenced to life in prison, according to the law. Gait and Kirk were still threatened by Sussex Police on Saturday, officials said.
Sussex Police said in a statement: "As part of our ongoing investigations into the criminal use of drones that have severely disturbed aircraft in and out of Gatwick Airport, Sussex Police took two arrests just after 22.00" 21. December. "Our surveys are still underway and our airport activities continue to build resilience to detect and further reduce drone break-ins by leveraging a variety of tactics. We continue to encourage audiences, passengers, and the wider community around Gatwick to to be vigilant and support us by contacting us immediately if they believe they have information that can help us bring those responsible to justice. "
The Queen attacks began Wednesday night, December 19, and continued through Friday morning , which resulted in more than 1,000 flights being canceled or diverted from the second busiest airport in the UK during the popular holiday season. More than 140,000 travelers were hit by the closure of Gatwick's single runway. The airport stopped until Friday morning. Airport officials are still working to recover from disruptions and return activities at the airport to normal. During the closure, the local police and military area patrolled near Gatwick hoping to find the drone operators.
"Our runway is open and we aim to run a full schedule Saturday, December 22. Passengers should expect some delays and cancellations as we continue to restore our operation after three days of disturbance and we recommend checking with the airline before traveling to the airport, Gatwick airport said in a statement. "Security is Gatwick's top priority and we are grateful for the passenger's continued patience as we work to bring them to their final destination in time for Christmas."
It has not been a motive apparent to the drone attacks, but some have speculated the so-called "environmental warriors" who were concerned about the environmental impact of aircraft and airports, were behind the disturbance, according to The Times of London. The newspaper reported that environmentalists were considered potential suspected incidents by Investigators such as airports are frequent targets for climate change activists, and there is no indication that Paul Gait and Elaine Kir k is linked to environmental activism.
Here's what you need to know about Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk-Gait and Gatwick Airport drone disturbance:
1. Gait boss said he is a "trustworthy family man" and he was busy in the workplace "while the drone attacks occurred
Facebook ] Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk-Gait.
Paul Gait Chief John Allard, owner of Allard Double Glassing in Crowborough, told The Telegraph, "Paul usually comes around noon. 7.45 and I remember those days when he was working late on the spot at a suitable job. I don't think he can. He was busy in the workplace when it happened. "Allard, who has owned the company for 40 years, told the newspaper he knows that Gait has flown drones earlier as a hobby.
" He is a trusted family man who has been with me for 17 years and has never given me any problems , "Allard told The Telegraph." He may have been interested in model flight from me because I've been doing it for 40 years. I also know Paul's wife Elaine, and as far as I know, she has no interest in drones or model flying. "
Neighbors were also shocked by the arrests, and told The Telegraph that Gait is a hard-working family man. A friend, who will not be named, said that Gait had a problem with neighbors, according to The Daily Mail," Paul told me. that his neighboring gate was overwhelmed and that he had trouble parking his van. He said he had asked the neighbor if he could trim the hedge back a bit, but he refused, and then they didn't talk again after that. Paul said people would ask if they could go on their drone or helicopter when they saw him flying, but he told me "there is no way I will allow it as these things can be dangerous in the wrong hands." "[19659004] The friend added," I haven't seen Paul or Elaine all day. They have two dogs, one Jack Russell and one pug, which they charge for trips every day, but we haven't seen them at all. From what I know of him, I will be tweaked if he is the one responsible for disturbing Gatwick and causing all that chaos. Paul Kirk Elaine Gait Gatwick ” width=”532″ height=”531″ class=”size-inline wp-image-1888889″/>
Paul Kirk and Elaine Gait
A neighbor, who also asked not to be identified, told The Telegraph, "Paul is very hard working. He works for a window assembly company and usually goes home around 7am every day and does not come home until 6pm. He used to drive remote-controlled cars up and down the road and then entered drones, but I haven't seen him fly for more than a year. I noticed some activity outside his house on Friday night and saw him move his car. I was surprised to see that it was still there when I got up this morning because he usually works on Saturdays. I would be very surprised if he had anything to do with what happened because he seems like such a nice normal block. "
Gait Chief Allard told The Daily Mail," We can account for Paul's movements between. 7am and 5pm Monday through Friday. He has been part of a three-man glass door and window in the Crowborough area.
Elaine Kirk.
Gemma Allard, Paul Gait's ex-partner and daughter of both of them, told the mirror: "He was with me at work all the time the drones were up. Paul comes home to me every morning – I have a child with him. this time he sat in my room with a cup of tea with me – and for the rest of the day he worked. They need to let him out and get the right people. Paul wouldn't do this, no chance. "
Sussex police said that the couple was repressed from Saturday morning. They asked everyone with information about contacting investigators.
"Anyone with information about the incident or who suspects the drone operators is being asked to report online or call 101 quote Operation Trebor. If you see anyone acting suspiciously in the area of the airport, please call 999 immediately, "Sussex Police said in a statement.
Facebook ] Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk-Gait.
The attacks come after a shipping driver, Paul Motts, told The Sun he saw a man who appeared to be in his 30s, and he wears two drones on a country road about 4 miles from Gatwick Lane Thursday night. The man was wearing "hi-vis clothing," Motts told the newspaper. "I delivered a package and drove past a suspicious man in fluorescent bicycle gear crochet over a large drone that was all lit. It was a big thing with lights on his arms and about 4 feet across. He had a smaller drone, about 2 meters Over, beside him. He leaned over and did something about it. He was completely focused and didn't look up when I drove by, Motts said. [Mottsadded:"ItlookedlikehehadpackedthedronesawayTwominuteslaterweturnedaroundandcrossedoverandrodeawayIexpecthewantedtodismantlethedragonasquicklyaspossibleandrecoverassoonashecouldItwasquitestrangetoconsiderwhathadhappenedattheairportduringtheday"
2. Gait and Kirk have been married since 2013 and Gait is a former soldier
Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk. ” width=”599″ height=”531″ class=”size-inline wp-image-1888899″/>
Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk have been married since 2013, according to their Facebook profiles, Gait is the father of a preteen son and daughter in his 20s, his social media site shows, according to his Facebook page, Paul Gait lives in Crawley and studied at Crawley College Elaine Kirk went to Dunraven Secondary School, according to her Facebook page.
According to The Daily Mail, the couple live just 5 miles away from Gatwick Airport, Crawley is a city of around 100,000 and is located below the airport's flight path.
According to Mirror, Gait was in the military as a soldier. His father, Francis, told the newspaper his son was a soldier and waitress in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.
"He has had some cracking helicopters and liked to move them, but I think He ended up selling them. He had them long ago. It will be a year or two. I can't believe Paul is involved in this, I just can't, "Francis Gait told The Mirror." The times this day flies in the daylight – when Paul was at work. I think they just die to pin it on someone. I can't believe in one minute, that's true. It's just mad. "
Mirror reports that the police searched for their £ 590,000 free-standing home and a vehicle parked outside on Saturday. Paul Gait's mother told Mirror:" We are just so shocked. That's not how Paul would. He's a nice person. "
Ian Kirk, Elaine's ex-husband, told Mirror:" She hates toy airplanes. There is no ground on earth, she would be involved, and she will be completely destroyed and heartbreaked. "He said Elaine Gait is a clerk. [19659044] elaine kirk ” class=”size-full wp-image-1889133″/>
Elaine Kirk and Paul Gait.
"They invited us to a barbecue to celebrate Elaine's 50th and was absolutely charming," said one named neighbor The Mirror. "No one would ever Expect them to be involved in something like this. They are a very nice couple, perfect neighbors. "
Neighbor Bob Simpkin told The Daily Mail," Paul is what you can describe as an average person, a hard-working builder. I was shocked to hear what happened, I think the police have the wrong people – this is totally out of character.
Simpkin added: "Last night I heard a lot of screams and cries when I looked outside so I saw a woman being led to a police van by a female copper. The wagon was parked outside your house and I saw a woman headed into van. Paul and Elaine have been together for about five years – sometimes I see a young boy of about ten there too. "
He said he doubted they were involved. "Elaine doesn't seem to be involved in any problems – she also works a lot from what I can tell. Were the couple flying the drone at the airport? I don't think so. Their drone was just not big enough, it's just about one meter wide. Paul is just not stupid enough to do it – I have the feeling that the police are wrong. He's more in his model helicopter, I've seen him use them, but just around his property. "
One another neighbor, who did not give his name, told The Daily Mail, "Another neighbor, who did not want to be named, said: & # 39; They do not seem to do this, they are down to earth. He is a builder and she works somewhere six days a week.
Almost added, "Paul likes gadgets, he never used his drone on the street – you could hear all the buzzing sound. I haven't seen them use it recently, but the winter, so it's dark. He used to do it on the streets, everyone was quite impressed, especially the kids. They really stick to themselves. "
3. Gait's Facebook Page Features Pictures of RC helicopters and model aircraft, but authorities believe commercial degrees drones were used on Gatwick
Elaine Kirk-Gait.
Another neighbor, who asked not to be identified, told The Daily Mail, "He's like a big boy to be honest with his gadgets. In the summer he always stood outside the front of his house flying either a drone, a helicopter or a plane. He had some drones, one that I saw him flying a couple of times, was quite big, he used to put it in his van so it fit. I spoke to him a couple of times, but he never mentioned anything about Gatwick or complained about the noise from the aircraft. We are over the runway, though, and it can be quite noisy, especially in the summer, but you get used to it. »
Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk.
Gait & # 39; s Facebook page contains images from 2010 of remote control helicopters. On one photo, his son holds the RC helicopter. A neighbor, Ludmila Adomako, told The Daily Mail, "I used to see Paul flying a small drone around the cul-de-sac from his driveway. The dragon wasn't that big, but he wanted to fly a model airplane and helicopter, and drive a small model sports car around his house. "
Adomako added:" He worked for a door glass company. In the summer he knocked on my door and gave me a quote to have some glass in my winter hall replaced. It was the first time I had really talked to him "We continued talking about family, and I told him my daughter had died and he put his arm around me and said," I'm sorry to hear it. "I thought it was a pretty nice human touch." 19659004] Adomako told The Daily Mail, "He said he had a teenage son who lived with his former wife and he was worried about him all the time. Paul and his wife also had a daughter who lived with them. I can't say for sure where old she was but it was either late teens or is early in the twenties. The police came around to talk to me about Paul and Elaine this morning, and I asked the officers if it was about drone attacks on Gatwick, and they said yes. I think I saw Paul last night just after 9:00, someone moved his van from the street to his station. I was sure he was, but maybe it was a policeman. I can't be sure. "
An image of an RC helicopter by Paul Gait's Facebook page.
Gait has also posted in RC helicopter groups on Facebook and likes several pages related to the hobby. On December 17, he wrote on "RC Helicopters For Sale UK", that he searched for a "trex600 fbl head", which is part of the T-Rex 600 RC helicopter. Gait often sold RC and model aircraft and helicopters to the groups he belonged to enthusiasts, some of whom he seemed to have built using purchased parts and kits.
#BREAKING The arrested couple accused of flying a #drone close to # Gatwick airport that caused great disturbance, Elaine Kirk and Paul Gait, do not appear to be environmentalists, but they seem to be drone and remote-controlled vehicle enthusiasts, building their own RC vehicle pic.twitter.com / TtDa7BW0qe
Authorities and experts believe in unmanned aircraft used in drone attacks at Gatwick airport were much more sophisticated, commercial entities. Sussex Police said the drones were supposed to be "industrial specifications."
The accused #Gatwick drone flyer Paul Gait, judging by his Facebook activity, has small under 250g mini quads that fail to realistically threaten general air traffic. He also has a story with flying RC helicopters …
Lewis Whyld, CNN drone operator and photojournalist, said about that description:
This means That one device is not a shelf consumer drone, but something bigger or more complicated, or perhaps expert homemade. He added that drones can have large areas, with some of the most powerful being controlled from up to 10 kilometers (16 kilometers) away. Drones do not necessarily need an operator, adds Whyld. They could be pre-programmed to follow a route using GPS, he said.
Jon Parker, an aviation expert and former Royal Air Force pilot, head of drone training company Flyby Technology, told CNN that he did not "see anything on this scale before" in deliberately disturbing a large airport with drones. "
" "The usual exercise is to suspend planes for half an hour, which is the usual battery life for drones," Parker told CNN. "The person in charge of this has had several batteries and has brought his drones back to the ground for putting new batteries on them. "
4. Officials called Drone Incidents a criminal law and a" highly targeted activity … "designed to close the airport and cause a maximum disruption in the run-up to Christmas"
Getty A view of the control tower as a drone causing interference on flights at Gatwick Airport on December 20, 2018 in London, England.
The drones were seen near the Gatwick airport south of London more than 50 times during the disturbance.
"On behalf of everyone in Gatwick I would like to repeat how sorry we are for the inconvenience this criminal behavior has caused passengers and we share their real anger and frustration that it has happened," said airport CEO Stewart Wingate in a statement . "This is a highly targeted activity designed to close the airport and bring maximum interference during Christmas. We work very closely with the police and security services to try to solve this for passengers."
Sussex Police said in a statement "Public safety is important and we will take all available measures to disrupt this conscious action. There is no indication that this is terrorist related.
Wingate said the only runway at Gatwick Airport was closed after reports of two drones flying into and around the airport at 9 am on Wednesday, the observations were still reported over the next several hours, all of the planes were canceled through Thursday night and into Friday morning.
"We would obviously be able to reopen the airport as quickly as possible. We still receive drone sightings in and around Gatwick Airport. Therefore, until we are sure that the problem has been resolved, it would clearly not be in the passenger's interest to do so so that we could endanger their safety, "Wingate said. [19659] Wingate said the airport was working with authorities and police To solve the situation.
"We know that everyone, including the government, appreciates the seriousness of the situation and is very grateful for the active role of the police in trying to solve this. We all recognize the urgent need to take the necessary steps that can lead the services to return to normal as quickly as possible, "Wingate.
" Every time we think we come close to the operator, the drone disappears; When we look at re-opening the airport, the drone acts, "Sussex Police Superintendent Justin Offenshaw told British press association, according to CNN.
" We hope passengers appreciate that we must and will always prioritize their safety over everything else. We all work flat out to minimize inconvenience and have extra staff in both terminals that help passengers waiting. Unfortunately, we are still unable to say when it is safe to reopen the airport. As soon as we can, we want to, "Wingate said in a statement.
According to The Guardian, the military was deployed to Gatwick to help re-open the airport, but Defense Secretary Gavin Williams did not state what military involvement in the operation would be. sharpshooters were discovered at the airport, The Guardian reports, but Gatwick COO Chris Woodroofe had previously told reporters that the risk of a wasted bullet did so that the drones could not close.
"We are going to distribute the armed forces to give them that help They need to be able to handle the drone situation at Gatwick Airport, "Williamson tweeted." The armed forces have a number of unique abilities, and this is not something we would normally use, but we are there to help and do everything we can to make them will be able to open the airport as soon as possible. "[19659004] According to reports, military technology, including some commonly used on the battlefield, was used to scan an drones, track down unmanned aircraft and jams.
Getty Passengers waiting for London Gatwick Airport, south of London, on December 20, 2018, all planes were grounded by drones flying over the airport.
British officials have expressed sympathy with the travelers disturbed by the chaos of Gatwick airport and assured the public that they did everything to stop drone operators. A spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said in a statement: "This is a serious incident, it causes widespread disturbance to the passengers. Of course, the intention is that it should be terminated as soon as possible."
Can even raise the issue at a press conference :
I feel for all those passengers whose travel plans have been disturbed by this drone activity and the action that had to be taken in response to it. At this particular time of year, this is especially difficult for people. We have already adopted legislation in relation to the use of drones. As has become clear, the activity we have seen is illegal, and those caught in danger of flying may have up to five years in prison. And we consult further aspects of this, including additional police forces. We will continue to work with the Gatwick authorities to make it close so people will be able to move on as they expected over Christmas.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told the BBC: "We want to do everything we can to ensure that if Gatwick is not open again, we can get [passengers] away from other airports. There is a lot of effort going on – we have updated technology, we have brought special technology to Gatwick to try to track this. "
Minister of Transport Elizabeth Sugg told The Guardian," The Sussex Police are in the lead and have officers on the ground. They do everything they can to find drone and its operators All relevant parts of the government, including the Department of Transport, Home Office and the Ministry of Defense, are involved in the response. "
5. It is illegal to fly unmanned aircraft, such as drones, near UK airports
Getty A "No Drones" screen alerts members of the public about the use of drones or UAVs are prohibited, displayed outside Manchester United's Carrington Training complex in Manchester, North West on December 20, 2018. It is illegal in the UK to move drones and other unmanned aircraft near airports. According to The Guardian, "It is against the law to fly a drone higher than 120 meters or in limited airspace, such as near an airport. Additional restrictions apply if the drone is equipped with a camera. The Dronesafe site, operated by aviation and national Aviation Control, outlines a number of guidelines for drone flying, including keeping the drone in the eye at all times. "
According to The Guardian, there are near misses between drones and aircraft on their way up the UK.
"The frequency in the UK has tripled since 2015. The UK Airprox Board (UKAB), which monitors all near misses with commercial aircraft, said it was 92 between aircraft and drones in 2017. It was more than three times the figure in 2015: 29. In 2016, 71 and the data clearly track the growth of drone use, "The Guardian reports.
According to CNN International, someone who violated the law against flying drones near an airport was up to 5 years in prison.
Wingate, Gatwick's CEO, said the airport and government will have to rethink their strategy These events clearly highlight a broader strategic challenge for aviation in this country, which we must cope with speed – the aviation industry, government and all other relevant authorities. It may not be right that drones can close an important part of our national infrastructure this way. This is obviously a relatively new technology, and we need to think through the right solutions to make sure it can't happen again, Wingate says in a statement. "Meanwhile, all our focus is on sorting today's challenge and getting back to normal for passengers. At the moment, I'm not able to say with certainty when it may be, but everyone does everything they can to make it happen. happen. "
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