Drone activity in the english channel - Dover

I wasn’t sleeping and went on one of the flight tracking services. There’s activity tonight off the Kent coast by what looks like an drone with ID. Gtekv. At about 500 to 600 feet ASL and 40 knots. It’s Operating from Lydd Airport and been up two or three hours. Perhaps watching for illegal immigrants or drug smugglers. Follows quite a precise pattern up and down. I think a NOTAM has been issued but iPhone doesn’t give me the easiest way of seeing

I looked on the NOTAM map just now on my desktop and this is in force for Dover:
RESTRICTED AREA (TEMPORARY) APPLICABLE TO UNMANNED ACFT ONLY AT
THE PORT OF DOVER, KENT. RESTRICTION OF FLYING REGULATIONS MADE UNDER
ARTICLE 239 OF THE AIR NAVIGATION ORDER 2016. NO UNMANNED ACFT IS TO
FLY WI THE AREA BOUNDED BY THE CLOCKWISE ARC OF A CIRCLE HAVING A
RADIUS OF 2.25 NAUTICAL MILES CENTRED ON 510800N 0011900E BETWEEN
510907N 0012206E AND 510656N 0011551E AND A STRAIGHT LINE JOINING THE
POINTS 510656N 0011551E AND 510907N 0012206E (PORT OF DOVER). EXCEPT
THOSE UNMANNED ACFT OPERATED BY OR ON BEHALF OF THE PORT OF DOVER
POLICE, THE KENT POLICE, THE KENT FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE, OR
OPERATING WITH THE PERMISSION OF THE PORT OF DOVER POLICE WHICH MAY
BE CONTACTED ON 01304 216084 (EXTENSION 5752) AND 07717 851571.

Couldn’t see anything for Lydd apart from a slew of messages about unserviceable VOR/DME

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I thought this was common knowledge?

Isn’t this what’s occurring here?

Link:

See there is a Schiebel Camcopter S-100 operating off the French coast this morning. French Border Patrol??

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Just dragging this up, the notam above seems to still be temporary but is showing permanent? Am I missing something?

Anyone?

From the CAA:

"Notification release from 28-JUL-2021 for SW 2021/177

The CAA has approved Airspace Change ACP-2020-100 to facilitate SkyGuardian operating from RAF Waddington and RAF Lossiemouth this summer. The Temporary Danger Areas, known as TDAs, will be notified in AIC Yellow 068/2021 which is due to be published in July’s aeronautical information cycle.

The TDAs will be activated by NOTAM.

The CAA has also completed an in-depth review and issued the authorisation to General Atomics operate within the UK.

Operations are due to commence August 19th. Operations will take place from RAF Waddington during August and mid-September where the aircraft will relocate to RAF Lossiemouth for further flights."

That’s the new version of the Predator drone they’re using

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Still is today - and they want to charge £153 + VAT to apply to fly there.

Always thought applications should be free.

So I will not be flying there later this month!

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I have pushed back quoting CAP722C have been acknowledged awaiting a response.

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Response from Dover Port:

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very sad!

Hopefully from musings in another thread there is a single point process for airports coming soon to process applications to fly within an RFZ. Fingers crossed if/when it becomes available they will adopt the same approach and no longer request the fee for processing.

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One can hope.

In the meantime I have sent this as well as reported using the online form on the caa website.

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I would suggest the more people that report the Port of Dover for their practice the more likely action will be taken.

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:man_facepalming:t2:

So if I read that correctly they think they can legally get away with that!

Well then under the rights of free movement etc etc etc and my rights as human to do as I wish without harming others or committing a crime - this would mean I can fly where the hell I Like!@

Who are these people at Dover???