Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Confusion; Distraction
Conflict Airborne Conflict; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
We were being vectored by DTW Approach Control approximately 18 NM northeast of the field on a base leg. We spotted what first appeared to be a cluster of balloons; however; as we got closer it appeared to be a drone. We were at 7;000 FT MSL and it was south of our course approximately 7;500 FT MSL. We reported our sighting to approach and continued without any incident. The drone was never close enough to our aircraft to be a significant threat.We wanted to report the incident to make others aware of the threat.
The aircraft appeared to be black and white or grey with four rotors on posts of an aircraft approximately 4 FT square. The flight conditions as the time of the sighting were VMC above a broken to overcast 4;000 FT ceiling in DTW Class B airspace.
An air carrier pilot reported sighting a UAV while on approach vectors approximately 18 NM northeast of DTW at 7;000 FT above a 4;000 FT ceiling. The UAV was propelled by 4 rotors on the corners of an aircraft approximately 4 FT square.