Many of the New Jersey "drones" are aircraft operated lawfully - not surprising in a state with 41 public airports - FBI have not yet had any reports of drones in restricted airspace
This seems to be mainly a communication issue between Federal officials and the public. The Federal officials already know that most of the sightings are of aircraft - but the public need more details than that to be satisfied.
New Jersey senator Andy Kim went with the police to reported drone sightings and confirmed for himself that most of what they saw were planes.
He tweeted about how he confirmed this for one small plane that didn't show up in Flight radar (with the help of pilots who told him how to check it up).
He is asking the FBI to be more open and explain to the public how they know they are planes.
TEXT ON GRAPHIC: New Jersey senator Andy Kim with help of pilots identified “drones” reported by the public as planes and shared his detailed analysis online. He did this for just one location he visited with the police.
The FBI say MANY of the sightings they investigated were lawfully operated planes.
Andy Kim calls on the Federal officials to share their analyses with the public to help them understand better - like he did.
The FAA and FBI are not tracking these drones
It's like saying "There is no way the FBI doesn't know who was riding the bicycle that passed me at 12 am this morning".
Of course they don't know, unless the cyclist is a spy or something. Not because it would be impossible for them to know.
Because they don't spy on Americans. There are also limitations on what they are permitted to do unless they have a warrant.
If only they would explain this to us. The basic facts that
anyone can fly low flying planes and drones anywhere except in restricted areas at any time
they do not need to tell anyone where they are flying
the FAA and FBI don’t track them unless they are criminal or being investigated
[not sure if they need warrant - some warrantless searches are permitted and the law is complex sorry missummarized in early draft]
This would deal with most of the confusion amongst the public.
For that background see my previous blog post here:
White House briefing - no drones have yet been detected for any of the sightings - many confirmed to be planes - no drones reported in any restricted air space
From the press briefing 2 days ago:
QUOTE STARTS
The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are investigating these sightings, and they’re working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources, using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin.
Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to — and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities — corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.
To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully.
The United States Coast Guard is providing support to the State of New Jersey and has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels.
And, importantly, there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace.
QUOTE “Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities. We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection.To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space.
New Jersey senator Andy Kim - accompanying local police to “drone” sightings - confirmed that many are planes flying over
Personal account here from a New Jersey senator Andy Kim who went out with the local police to a place where the public were reporting drone sightings and he matched many of them to planes flying past. He couldn't locate one of them but then with the help of pilots he was able to bring up a more detailed flight map that showed it.
He is calling on federal officials to be more transparent and not just tell the public that they are ordinary aircraft but explain to them how they know this like he did in this thread.
QUOTE STARTS
After going out with police to observe reports of possible drones, I was with the help of civilian pilots and others able to do deeper analysis and concluded that most of the possible drone sightings that were pointed out to me were almost certainly planes. Let me explain: THREAD
While not receiving any feedback/info from federal officials, I reached out to civilian aviators/others for analysis. I used public flight tracking tools to recreate the conditions of my time out. For instance I was at Round Valley Reservoir at 9:20pm and shot this video. 2/9
[Detail from his video which is on X here and also embedded in the thread here]
While I didn’t observe a plane in the flight tracker at that moment that night, I was able to pull up more detailed flight data subsequently and spotted this one small plane taking the path of what was pointed out to me the other night as a possible drone flying near us. 3/9
I share this because this is the kind of analysis we need but are not getting from the federal government to explain this situation. FAA experts have much more experience/resources to identify aircraft. Instead I’m left to draw on civilian support and public apps. 4/9
I don’t discount others may have seen actual drone activity, and not all I saw is fully explained by flight paths, but much of it was. And I think the process through which I got confirmation points to the kind of explanation we need from gov authorities to address the public’s concern. 5/9
Press releases from federal agencies that don’t share analysis of evidence and instead just reiterate statements aren’t helpful in this moment. We have a lot of distrust in politics/government right now, and we need federal gov to respect the right for the public to be informed. 6/9
Federal experts should provide information and guidance to the public including local police departments like the one that took me out to help them decipher what they are seeing. Instead myself and others requesting are getting no feedback. 7/9
I think this situation in some ways reflects this moment in our country. People have a lot anxiety right now about the economy, health, security etc. And too often we find that those charged with working on these issues don’t engage the public with the respect and depth needed. 8/9
I’ll keep pressing to get answers about possible drones and help us understand what’s going on. On top of that, I’ll push for a government that is more responsive to the people. A customer service governance that treats people with respect, transparency and accountability. END
This is another example of tracking them by open source methods:
QUOTE STARTS
'“Shoot them down already!” said Assemblyman Greg McGuckin, R-Ocean.'
This on a piece that includes photos of a claimed "drone" that I have just identified as a civilian helicopter, reg N814U which appears to belong to Ascent Aeronautical Academy.
I haven’t yet found a confirmed actual drone amongst the supposed sightings shared online.
There must be lots of drones flying around the New Jersey skies, and probably some of the original sightings were drones, maybe hobbyist drones, delivery drones, farmers or construction company drones etc.
But now they seem to be mainly commercial and private aircraft.
That is not surprising as New Jersey is a place with a busy airspace with lots of planes taking off and landing.
So if the public go out looking for something unusual in the night sky, and they are not used to looking at the sky - the first things they are likely to spot are aircraft.
There must be aircraft flying over frequently, almost everywhere you look.
How could someone live in New Jersey and never notice planes flying over at night? Well many don’t notice the Moon nowadays
You might wonder - how could anyone live in New Jersey and not notice aircraft flying over at night until this drone story breaks?
You’d be surprised.
After all - you’d expect most people to notice the Moon.
But how many people know basic facts about the Moon that they’d notice if they paid any attention to it?
For example - have you noticed that the moon sometimes faces to the West and sometimes to the East? This is normal, it’s happened every month, it faces a different way before and after new moon. Have you noticed that?
For a bonus question - which way does it face just before and which way just after new moon?
Answer in the next graphic - but did you know without looking at it?
TEXT ON GRAPHIC
waxing crescent; after sunrise to after sunset
first quarter (half moon): midday to midnight
full moon: visible all night
third quarter (half moon facing East): midnight to midday.
waning crescent: before sunrise to before sunset
Go back to the nineteenth century and I expect almost everyone would know these basic facts about the Moon.
But now in the 20th century with our homes lit up brightly and then looking at mobile phones when out of doors, probably few people know this any more.
Another thing that many people don’t know is that you can see the moon in daytime, nearly every day.
We get people come to our group sometimes, scared because they noticed the Moon in daytime for the first time in their lives.
Actually the Moon is visible in the daytime sky at some point in the day almost always except at full moon (when it is visible all night) and new moon (when it is in the sky all day but you can’t see it because the lit side is facing away from Earth).
You can try asking your friends and see how many know the moon is visible in daytime and how many know that it faces in the opposite direction after new moon compared to before new moon. And for a bonus ask how many know which way it is facing just before new moon and which way it is facing just after new moon where you live.
Given that many people never notice the Moon in daytime, or notice which way it is facing, it’s not surprising that many people also never notice planes flying over at night.
And people who have the correct licenses have every right to fly everywhere they want to go so long as they don’t fly too high, stay below the maximum speed of 238 mph and avoid the controlled spaces around airports.
What’s more the government can’t track you without a warrant.
Class G airspace - uncontrolled - govern free FAA don’t track aircraft or drones in class G airspace near the ground.
No transponders. No Air Traffic Control.
Class G airspace: So long as you keep to the rules - and have a license - you can fly a plane or drone of any size anywhere in Class G at any time. No need to notify anyone flying visually at up to 238 mph below 10,000 feet.
If you need to talk to me about something it is often far better to do so via private / direct messaging because Quora often fails to notify me of comment replies.
Or best of all Direct Message me on Facebook if you are okay joining Facebook. My Facebook profile is here:. Robert Walker I usually get Facebook messages much faster than on the other platforms as I spend most of my day there.
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