What do pilots think of the threat of drone collisions?
This has been on my mind since United Flight 1513, a 737 inbound from Key West, came within 100 feet of a drone on final approach into Newark. How confident do pilots feel about being able to avoid drone collisions and the government's ability to find drone operators who break the rules?
Do states need to require mandatory RF detection arrays at major airports? Should NY/NJ require that drone manufacturers only sell drones that are programmed to avoid airports? Should we be enacting state-level felony charges for these near misses (the FAA's max fine is $75k, which seems low)? Should we deploy cyber takeover systems that could takeover and land rogue drones?
I'm curious about the solution here, and what the appetite would be among pilots to do something to mitigate the risk. Let me know what you all think.