Reckless Footage, or Crazy Fake? A380 Takeoff filmed by a Drone

Real World Aviation
1

So a couple of days ago, a video appeared on YouTube and Facebook showing the takeoff of an Emirates A380 from the airport on Mauritius. One might assume that this is nothing special. Probably just a planespotter standing next to the runway filming. Well, you’re wrong.

The video shows the take off captured by a drone, flying very close to the aircraft directly in the departure path. But see it by yourself:

Despite a lot of claims that this must be fake, it actually appears to be real. A few proofs are that the landscape is way to detailed to be fake. You can see cars moving, waves are moving, the weather is accurate, there are boats driving around, …

The aircraft is accurate as well. You can see tiny stabilization movements, the speed is correct, the take off procedure is on point, …

There are two great analysis videos that are discussing whether is real or not:

1: Did A Drone Film This A380 Jet? Real/Fake - Full Analysis - YouTube
2: Emirates Airbus A380 Jet + Drone UPDATE (Part 2) - YouTube

They’re both from the same user and he thinks, that it’s real.

Personally, it looks real to me. And despite the great footage, it’s reckless and dangerous flying a drone so close to an airplane and airport.

But what do you guys think? Real or Fake?

  • Real
  • Fake

0 voters

Happy Landings,
Marc

PS: I looked very carefully and I didn’t find a duplicate. It surprised me though that nobody posted that yet, so if there’s already another post that I have mist accidentally, I’m sorry :)

10 Likes
2

Looks real enough. Absolutely crazy!!

Problem is the DJI app only gives a mile radious flight restriction zone around that particular airport. The user should know better though!

3

I am enough Wondering about this video, because Drone recording Enough close with that plane

4

This is why drone pilots aren’t real pilots 😉

10 Likes
5

It is real and you can already guess where the drone operator is heading. Gonna need a really really good attorney to get out of trouble.

This will definitely result in further ordinances for Drone pilots . Even with the national laws in countries protecting aircraft from drones, drone incidents are still a growing problem and there will be a lot of pressure by all governments to implement hardcore operating system restrictions to prevent drones from getting into the airspace of an airport. (Ie increase system no fly zones from 1-2 miles to 5 miles would be a guaranteed implementation as well as restriction of recreational drones operation altitudes)

1 Like
6

Looks real to me! Doubt they will catch the idiot who filmed it

7

To me, it seems real; but unrealistic at the same time.

The only reason why I find it unrealistic is that the drone was not detected by the ATC, who would reject the Emirates A380 take off.

1 Like
8

Drones don’t broadcast their position to ATC, so how would they know? The GPS in most drones is only used by the operator. Consumer drones are very hard to spot in the Sky, especially at that altitude.

9

While I believe this is real footage what I’m not sure of is how close the drone may have actually may have been from the aircraft. To me it seems if it was as close as the footage shows wouldn’t that drone been blasted out of the sky from the wake turbulence of the aircraft?.

1 Like
10

The high freq/high PRF radar may have picked up the drone??

11

Unfortunately, I think this is real. The drone operator obviously didn’t think this one through. It’s a shame that people can’t follow the rules, because they are bringing follow drone pilots and enthusiasts down with them. I fly my drone regularly (of course not near any airports), and would hate if some rule that keeps me from flying the way I used to had to be put in place because of a stupid decision like this one.

1 Like
12

This is REAL
This footage is indeed real. The aircraft was departing Mauritius airport and the drone was within a good 50FT of the a380. Maybe the owner was arrested, or Mauritius has different Laws regulating Drones. It is uncertain what happened. But all I know is that if that a380 needed to turn, Hundreds of Lives could’ve been in greater danger than they were already.

3 Likes
13

Personally I am of the belief that is is real. But eaven if it is fake it sends the complete wrong message. People will see that if you are just to the left of that aircraft everting will be alright. That sends the complete wrong message…

14

Everything looks real except the plane is a lot whiter (brighter) than one would expect. It was very cloudy. I don’t really know. 🤷🏻‍♂️

15

Does anyone know the drone laws in Mauritius? I don’t and I operated in and out of there this month!

Is the flight path sensible? Not really. Is it illegal under the aviation laws of Mauritius? I don’t know.

Tricky things to spot from the cockpit these drones. The dangerous thing is it is often common to get an early left turn after departure in Mauritius. That would ruin a few peoples day!!

4 Likes
16

I looked it up, nothing above 400ft AGL, or in a class A, B, C, D, or E airspace. Pretty sure he broke both of those…

17

Found this website that helps with drone laws throughout the world. it says it is illegal to operate drones over airports or where aircraft are operating. Basically no flying in an airport’s airspace. Looking at the drone’s camera when it zooms out it would seem that the drone was no more than 500ft away from the aircraft laterally. It also would seem taking the time for the aircraft to pass by after taking off the drone was at most 3nm from the airport which would put it in the airport’s airspace

18

The no fly Zone was so small that this drone could be legal, Crazy.

19

Flying is a privilege, and that mentality should be extended to UAS operators. Its a shame that this technology is so easily reproducible and attainable without the proper training having to be undertaken. If we take this video as evidence, as well as the UAS that was operated directly above a landing aircraft at KLAS, we see a clear pattern of reckless behavior by UAS operators.

Here is the video from McCarran:

20

No fly zone means no fly zone. No matter what aircraft it is. If you were in an ultralight glider or a para glider you would be violating the airspace just the same. When it comes to air spaces, size doesnt actually matter.