The US Federal Aviation Administration has imposed several Temporary Flight Restrictions orders After part of New Jersey banned the use of drones on Wednesday, the region was flooded with reports of sightings.
Restrictions include the above airspace 20 cities New Jersey, including Hamilton, Camden, Elizabeth and Jersey City, and will be in effect until January 17, 2025.
The FAA order comes after a month of repeated drone sightings across the US, including near government and military facilities. More than 5,000 reports of drone sightings have been filed as authorities try to calm concerns.
The FAA is working with the Department of Homeland Security to implement the new drone restrictions. They do not affect manned aviation, including airplanes and helicopters.
“We are continuing to assess whether there is a threat to public safety related to the reported drone sightings,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesman said. Deciphering.
The FAA and the department have imposed temporary restrictions on certain facilities following requests from critical infrastructure partners, the spokeswoman added.
The FAA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reports of drones began in mid-November, initially centered in New Jersey, but the sightings have since spread as far west as New York, Maryland and California.
Officials emphasized that there was no immediate presence danger to public safety. However, the increase in sightings has fueled speculation and criticism of federal authorities’ lack of transparency.
While some politicians and citizens are increasingly concerned, skeptics believe there may be simpler explanations for the phenomenon.
“When people see something they can’t identify — usually a collection of lights — it’s hard to tell what it is unless you’re an aviation expert,” says the author, a UFO analyst and skeptic. Mick West told Deciphering.
“They interpret it as what they’re looking for. When you see something in this sky, you don’t know how far away it is, how big it is, or how fast it’s moving. This could be the speed of a nearby drone or a distant one.
The sightings, which began in November, went viral last week and sparked widespread debate. According to West, most of these reports – 99% – are misidentified aircraft, stars or other mundane events.
“People started looking for drones, there were reports of sightings, and it made it to local TV stations,” West said. “It created more interest and led others to look for drones and believe they were seeing them.”
Politicians on both sides are urging the military and intelligence agencies to act, including taking measures. shoot down drones where necessary.
“Because we have so many politicians involved, it’s going to be an issue as well,” West said. “They want to be seen as active.”
As media coverage expanded, reports of surveillance began to mount, eventually leading to congressional hearings and national news attention.
Some speculate that the drones are searching for missing or kidnapped people radioactive material.
Reflecting on the public’s reaction, West attributed it to human nature.
“We are evolutionarily hardwired to fear certain things,” he said. “Because avoiding potential threats is more beneficial than approaching them and investigating them.”
“We look for threats instead of solutions,” West said.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
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