The Federal Aviation Administration received at least five reports of drones operating near or originating from Lehigh Valley International and Queen City airports in 2015, posing a potential hazard to air traffic:
• May 7: A woman called Queen City Airport at 11 p.m. to report someone flying a drone less than half a mile from runway 25. The drone, which had four rotors and flashing blue and red lights, was flying in large circles at a “high altitude” near the departure end of the runway. The FAA reported no impact to air traffic.
• May 15: A woman made a second report of the drone flying near the end of the Queen City Airport runway at 12:30 a.m. Allentown Police were notified.
• June 15: Pilot of Piper aircraft on approach to Lehigh Valley International Airport one mile south of Allentown at about 1,500 feet detected a drone flying about 400 feet below his plane about 11:55 p.m. and reported it to air traffic controllers. No evasive action was required, but state police were notified.
• July 24: Lehigh Valley International Airport communication center reported a small, low-flying drone with multicolored lights flying above South Mountain, five miles south of Lehigh Valley International Airport, at 1:58 a.m.
• Aug. 9: Pilot of Chicago-bound Express Jet flight from Lehigh Valley International Airport reported drone flying at roughly 10,500 feet, 500 feet below the airliner, about 50 miles out from O’Hare International Airport.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
http://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-lehigh-valley-drone-incidents-20151121-story.html
