In the Northeast, there have been more reports of suspicious drone sightings. This increase in reports is unusual and follows the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to suspend its temporary flight restrictions after hundreds of drone sightings were reported late last year.
The sightings that were reported in November and December of last year in New York, New Jersey, and other adjacent states resulted in airport closures, arrests, and calls from lawmakers and the FAA for increased control.
After the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put temporary flying limitations on drone flights in New Jersey and New York in December, the number of sightings seemed to decrease. These restrictions were relaxed in some locations on January 19.
After the limits were loosened, there have been numerous reports of sightings from Connecticut to New Jersey.
Since November, Enigma Labs, a research business that investigates unusual phenomena, has recorded 650 sightings around the country that have been classified as related to drones. The majority of these sightings have occurred in the Northeast.
After the prohibition was put in place, Enigma reported a decrease in the number of reports. However, it got 49 reports in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Virginia just this month, 14 of which came after the flight limitations were lifted.
“You look at the reports that people are submitting. They’re saying, you know, ‘I’m still seeing them, ban or no ban, and they’re happening,'” Enigma spokesperson Christine Kim stated.
Enigma posted films that were turned in by local residents. The videos showed lines of flashing red lights in the night sky, with many of them close together above neighborhoods.
Senator Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, announced the return of the drones during a press conference in New York on Sunday. The press conference was not related to the drones.
“We have now seen new drone sightings. We’re going to have to look into it,” he stated.
On his first day back at the White House, President Donald Trump also spoke on the sightings, stating, “I would like to find out what it is and tell the people.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not verified the recent sightings, but it has stated that it is responsible for ensuring that drones operate safely inside the larger National Airspace System.
The FBI stated that they had received over 5,000 tips on drone sightings in the weeks leading up to December 16, and that they had generated “100 leads for investigation.”
This information was disclosed in a joint statement with the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security. According to the agency, it has sent advanced detecting technology and a professional visual observer to the area.
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The FBI, on the other hand, stated that none of the tips contained anything “anomalous,” nor did they indicate any risk to national security or public safety in the civilian airspace in the Northeast.
“We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” according to the agencies.
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Governor Kathy Hochul of New York demanded legislation to control drones in the air late last month.
“While we have not detected any public safety or national security threats, we will continue aggressively monitoring the situation as we call on Congress to pass legislation to give states and local law enforcement the authority and resources they need to manage this evolving technology,” she stated.
