with unmanned aircraft is rising rapidly as more drones big and small take to the air pilots like greg cromer of raising the alarm i cannot see them they're too small or too fast and they're too erratic another airplane in the sky i know is going this way bedroom can go this way down fast without any warning they can change directions so there's no amount of preparation there's no amount of vigilance that's going to completely make me or any other pilot say america's aviation washed out says pilots have reported fifteen close calls with small dros near airports in the past two years and nasa database of confidential complaints filed by pilots and air traffic controllers has recorded fifty other reports of close calls involving drones over the past decade in many cases it is not possible to track down the on registered aircraft and who's flying them but when in july a small drone came dangerously close to a police helicopter in new york two of its operators were arrested not only are the drones able to fly off radar they also crash in the last five years two hundred thirty six all safe inside