Without jumping to conclusions, many signs are pointing toward icing being a factor. There were numerous reports of moderate to severe ice in the area at the altitude the aircraft was at, with aircraft attempting to climb above the icing conditions.

Fulgurite, it is actually possible to attain a private pilot certificate (and all further certificates) on multi engine aircraft without ever training in a single. It's not at all common, but it is legally possible and I suspect some have done it.

Spot on. Just as you say, one can be effectively IMC while still flying legal VFR.

Fatal GA crashes happen in the US almost every day:

Linnormlord, not all twins can maintain altitude or climb, should an engine fail...all depends on weight/temp. As adent1066 mentions, when one loses an engine in a conventional twin, control is indeed more difficult and Vmc rollover can occur...which is impossible in a single.

"The easiest way to get a single engine license is to pilot a plane that utilizes two engines in a push-pull configuration"

How many planes have crashed because they didn't file a flight plan?

Lest we forget `wall` ?

Dayburner, long range navigation system computers that use multiple inputs (GPS, Inertial, VOR/DME etc) calculate the position error between the input sources, and will flag the data if the error exceeds a certain threshold. In this case, the GPS data would no longer agree with the INS data, and should have generated…

6. "That's swill for losers who can't afford a real whiskey."

Valid points. (Good meeting you at Giz Gal downstairs)

Not Canon's current model S100? Yeah, the new model is out of stock right now on Amazon but the S95 is a bit long in the tooth.

The point is, if the GPS position differs from the inertial navigation unit or shows the aircraft tracking south when the compass says north, a flag would presumably be raised. This would detect spoofed GPS signals and indicate the drone isn't confident in its position.

Agreed, there are a lot of holes in the story...such as why the Iranian TV broadcast didn't show the underside or gear of the drone (I don't buy the "damaged during landing" excuse), or why it looked like it was made out of Play-Doh.

I doubt the plausibility of the attack solely being caused by fake GPS signals. Modern airliners have multiple LRNS (long range navigation systems) that are not all dependent on GPS. Inertial navigation systems onboard airliners, while not as accurate as GPS, are not prone to jamming as they detect the aircraft's…

Not only that, but the big planes often cannot use smaller airports. The runways may be too short or there may be local restrictions in place (like Aspen, CO, which limits wingspan to 95ft and weight to 100,000lbs MTOW).

Four. You forgot Meatpacking / 14th St.

"We have captured the drone by hacking the control signal used by the infidel"

Day job? That is his job. His sponsors cover expenses, and the stock library he is building pays for the rest.

Did someone say "icing"?