Drones

[bbuckley]

Do drones at non towered airports always use the same runway or are they real wind dependent? I was on 1 mi final to Kanab runway 01 this evening and fortunately saw the landing light of a rotating Lear coming off runway 19 so I went around and landed runway 19. Is there any way to find out what runway is "in use"?

[davidspreckeriii]

Last I knew, the drones are pre-recorded flights done during creation of pilot edge. I've never seen them change tactics, just they're flights repeat every so often.

[Kevin_atc]

The drones are creatures of habit. All of those aircraft have been specially modified in order to withstand any sort of crosswind or tailwind component and perform seamlessly in all conditions. The helicopter over downtown LA, however, kills a countless amount of pilots on an hourly basis.

[bbuckley]

Thanks guys. Is there a list anywhere of airports with drone operations and the runways they use? Are the drone departures at different airports all at the same pace? It seems that at a couple of airports I've been to on the Alphabet Challenge they depart so frequently that landing opposite is nearly impossible. So the only option is to land downwind and if the real weather winds are high it can make for an exciting time getting even a Phenom stopped at some airports.

[Kevin_atc]

Stay away from Compton...that's the drone hub. Avalon, too. There isn't anything published regarding the drones and what direction they go in, but I would guess that they all use the standard traffic pattern/calm wind runway.

[lwilliams]

Stay away from Compton...that's the drone hub.

If you fly on FS Economy, then indeed please DO fly to Compton.....lol

But I rarely have problems there with the amount of drone traffic.