Aer Lingus jet crosses path with drone over France

Drones are everywhere these days, from the smallest models which were popular at Christmas to massive camera carrying monsters which are revolutionising the way we shoot movies and TV shows.

The technology has incredible potential in areas like surveying, medical care and even home delivery via companies like Amazon but there are also real dangers, especially when it comes to these vehicles coming into contact with other aircraft.

The latest incident involved an Aer Lingus plane which was coming into land at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday the 20th of April. According to a report, the aircraft was at around 2,300 meters when the pilot saw a drone pass just 150 meters from the right wing.

In aeronautical terms, that's a hairsbreadth away from a collision, and another sign that we're getting closer to a major disaster involving drones and passenger craft.

France limits drone use to 150 meters above the ground, but the vehicles are capable of travelling much higher and there's a real risk of considerable damage, especially if it contacts the engine of an airplane.