December 15, 2024

"Last night, the runways at Stewart Airfield were shut down for approximately one hour due to drone activity in the airspace. This has gone too far."

A statement from New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
In mid-November, I directed the New York State Intelligence Center to actively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue, and those efforts are ongoing. But in order to allow state law enforcement to work on this issue, I am now calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act.... Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.

64 comments:

Dave Begley said...

This is Biden’s final fuck up: A REAL alien invasion.

The aliens saw how weak and incompetent Biden is and they figured now was the time to act. And Biden did promote open borders. Right?

Maybe the aliens will capture Joe, fly him to the mothership and probe him.

Another old lawyer said...

Reading a lot of speculation on Twitter, assertedly informed or knowledgeable, that they're seeing drones that are used for detecting radiation from weapons (dirty bomb, possible missing USSR era nukes) or weaponized chemicals. Whether a real situation or a drill or to test populace reaction to the sniffing drones is a second debate among those making these claims.

Interestingly, after his initial bark, Trump seems to have gone quiet on the issue. Almost like he was read in.

Christopher B said...
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Michael said...

The summaries of these bills always include an open-ended clause. To wit: To reauthorize and reform counter-unmanned aircraft system authorities, to improve transparency, security, safety, and accountability related to such authorities, and for other purposes.

The Vault Dweller said...

I wonder if stoking fear in the public was part of the plan to create political support to give the government more powers to control and monitor drones.

rehajm said...

If she’s running her mouth it means they are up to no good. A quick scan of the bill they want passed…to me it looks like an omnibus package to allow for large law enforcement jurisdiction and federal control of all drone flights. Small jurisdictions need not apply. So basically no damning storm damage flyovers or filming of illicit government activity or anything else that makes government look bad? Oh, but government can run drones all they want when they want, to film, block or harass…

rehajm said...
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Joe said...

Perhaps Harold Finch has added drones to the Machine.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I guess there's a pretty big difference between drones that play the Ride of the Valkyries and drones that play Here Comes Santa Claus but that's just me.

Christopher B said...

Is anybody else getting a vibe that there seems to be collusion between the media and various politicians to gin up hysteria over this to shut down an open source surveillance technology they'd really like to stop watching them? Both Hochul and Kirby used the same incongruous "nothing to see here, move on but we really need more authority to stop this" language.

Heartless Aztec said...

If it's Aliens at least they have a color palette that humanity recognizes.

Chick said...

Are the drones, electric or gas powered? Its an important distinction, ya'know.

rehajm said...

Ironically for a drone bill the word pilot is used 17 times...

Enigma said...

The key values for drones are 250 grams (8.8 oz and tiny), and then 25 kilos (55 lbs).

The tiny drones <250 grams are a surveillance concern with multi-mile flight ranges and excellent cameras, but not much of a payload concern. Drones below 55 lbs are fairly lightly regulated (e.g., pro-grade video cameras and routinely used for commercial films and ads), but they have a substantial payload risk. Drones over 55 lbs blend into conventional aircraft and should be considered de facto 'bombers.' Any "car sized" drone would be at least 55 lbs.


https://www.pcmag.com/news/drone-regulations-what-you-need-to-know

https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/chap11_section_3.html

mindnumbrobot said...

Maybe the aliens will capture Joe, fly him to the mothership and probe him.

They'll discover no evidence of intelligent life.

Jersey Fled said...

Given the crisis, maybe we should defer the inauguration for 15 days.

(Sarc)

ndspinelli said...

Psy Op

Enigma said...

I concur. Half of the Deep State intelligence agencies are tasked to monitor and detect. See the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The US government launched spy satellites with primitive film-drop technology way back in the 1960s (e.g., aircraft would fly high to catch exposed film canisters). They then launched spy satellites on the 1980s Space Shuttle and many more. The space cameras are now fantastically good--modern telescopes aimed at earth.

However, monitoring from space cannot detect low-altitude and invisible threats. Is it a drill versus real versus a psyop? It's the military so there's clear distinction.

https://www.nga.mil/

Enigma said...
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Enigma said...

Edit: There's NOT A clear distinction.

Enigma said...

These refer to a pilot (research) program -- testing and development.

rhhardin said...

I no longer have an airplane or live in NJ so I can't investigate it myself, but that would be the simple solution.

Hey Skipper said...

Throughout this whole brouhaha, I've not seen one reference, even a scintilla of journalistic curiosity, about the Federal Aviation Regulations.

For your reading pleasure, here is a relevant portion of FAR Part 107:

§ 107.31 Visual line of sight aircraft operation.

(a) With vision that is unaided by any device other than corrective lenses, the remote pilot in command, the visual observer (if one is used), and the person manipulating the flight control of the small unmanned aircraft system must be able to see the unmanned aircraft throughout the entire flight in order to:

(1) Know the unmanned aircraft's location;

(2) Determine the unmanned aircraft's attitude, altitude, and direction of flight;

(3) Observe the airspace for other air traffic or hazards; and

(4) Determine that the unmanned aircraft does not endanger the life or property of another.

(b) Throughout the entire flight of the small unmanned aircraft, the ability described in paragraph (a) of this section must be exercised by either:

(1) The remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small unmanned aircraft system; or

(2) A visual observer.


So, at the very least, whoever is operating these things has massively violated the FAR. Ordinarily, that means big trouble.

But not a peep from the FAA. Odd.

Enigma said...

Many people get waivers (permission) for violations, and if they are government agencies/military then civilian rules don't apply. Even still, they may have a dozen observers stationed around the area. Drones are big business these days, and have a whole bunch of innocuous commercial uses. One of these includes building/factory inspection. Hypothetically, these night flights could be used to monitor heat loss or leaking hot water or other infrastructure issues that are visible only at night.

Dixcus said...

It's out own government, operating against us. They're deliberately creating fear in mentally unwell people in order to get a bill passed that otherwise would not be passed.

We should be removing this government.

Breezy said...

Creating a crisis they then can’t let go to waste?

Breezy said...

Or move it up 30 days. Perfect example for why competent pres is required. Whether it’s us or them, we should be hearing directly from CinC.

Christopher B said...

(Fixed some spelling and formatting, looks like my earlier comment sparked some reponses)

Wince said...

Instead of simply saying the military is doing some testing, Biden wants to create a distraction.

Kai Akker said...

So it's been a fraud all along. Anything to get their nasty bill passed.

Fun while it lasted. Though yet another cry-wolf trick getting used up.

Christopher B said...

Enigma ... good points but if waivers are necessary then there's probably paperwork associated with these flights, or if they are public rather than government, why hasn't anybody stepped forward to claim them? Sounds like a good PR situation.

MadTownGuy said...

Fun fact: the exit from I-84 for Stewart Airport goes to state highway 747. Not sure if any 747s fly there, but it's an interesting convergence.

Enigma said...

@Christopher B: While I think these are could be government anti-terror operations, at least some of the drones may be local aircraft. Millionaires and billionaires fly helicopters and planes in and out of the area all the time. Some human pilots are as inexperienced as JFK Jr too, who had 36 hours of flight experience on his airplane when he crashed while trying to execute a master-level private aircraft flight to Martha's Vineyard (1999).

Derve Swanson said...
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Maynard said...

@Aol, I suspect that you are correct. They are likely US drones "sniffing" for radiation.

Nihimon said...

Why does a State need Congress to grant it any powers at all, unless those powers have been explicitly denied to the State by the Constitution? (cf. 10th Amendment)

I'm extremely skeptical of this kind of thing - it feels like a false flag operation to accomplish some other goal, or establish some nefarious precedent.

Hey Skipper said...

If there are waivers, then the FAA has detailed information about these UAVs. Otherwise, the FAA is silently tolerating massive violations.

That journalists, so far as I know, have universally failed to report this is proof, as if more is needed, of their laziness, incuriosity, and stupidity.

Bob Boyd said...

Even if you're right, who's flying the drones?

Lazarus said...

In the movies, there was usually a general who advocated shooting the damn things out of the sky. Where is that guy now?

planetgeo said...

Why doesn't Hochul just declare New York a drone sanctuary state?

Joe Bar said...
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Joe Bar said...

Is this really a problem? Every photo or video I've seen so far is an obvious fake, or it's of normal commercial aviation traffic.

Nico ajo said...

Why not open a drone hunting season?

Megthered said...

I think Trumps silence is deafening. The NJ gov said the drones were flying around Trump's NJ golf course and home. You would think Trump would be all over this.

Peachy said...

This is the big distraction of UFO's that I heard from a person named Karen.
She was right,

RCOCEAN II said...

She's on the aliens hit list now. 1st rule of Alien invasion, is you don't talk about it. I just hope the microbes save us, like they did before. As chronicled by HG Welles.

Third Coast said...

After listening to spokesperson Kirby try to explain the situation, I'm 100% convinced some Fed agency is conducting secret experiments, the plebes be damned.

mikee said...

Hochul sees an opportunity to grab a last bit of cash from the Feds as Joe's administration ends. Good luck with that, it will probably work if only to shut her up while Biden exits the office. But here's hoping the drones aren't malevolent, because I see zero real effort from her office to do anything other than whine about this.

NKP said...

Once upon a time the National Reconnaisance Office (NRO) did a lot of fun and amazing things. Maybe ring them up and ask what they're up to, these days. I Think they've come a long way from el Segundo.

Aggie said...

And yet, still no pictures. Isn't there some State Security legislation that is up for renewal right about now? This smells of hysteria contagion being whipped up for some purpose, and the longer the Feds stonewall the explanations, the more likely it is. What are they trying to get passed?

JK Brown said...

Hmmm, they've got the legislation, with fancy name and everything, all ready to go for this UAV incursion that is "no threat, but of unknown origin".

The UAV incursions will continue until the Congress panics and passes the legislation without debate or likely reading.

Temujin said...

I don't know if this is real, fake, accurate, or just good fiction to fit the times, but this is the only explanation that makes any sense to me at all. That is...if these are actually drone swarms, which at this point based on the videos and photos I've seen, I'm not sure. Swarm explanation.

cfs said...

Trump is the general in the movie saying "shoot them down".


“Mystery drone sightings all over the country,” Trump wrote in a post shared to Truth Social on Friday. “Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!”

MadTownGuy said...

Larry Hogan has entered the room.

MadTownGuy said...

Shooting a gun at drones is an invitation to disaster. Either the bullet misses and comes down on someone's home, or their head, or the drone crashes into someone's home...or their head

High powered lasers could disable drone cameras without taking the drone down, but the danger of aiming one at a private or commercial aircraft would be perilous, too.

Aggie said...

If the drones are fairly slow moving, the thing to do is for citizens to deploy their own, close in and aim for a propeller. If you want to find out who's at the bottom of all this drama, just knock one out of the sky. 'Whoops, sorry dog, my bad'

cfs said...

If someone brings down one of the drones, you can bet your bottom dollar the government will swoop in and say "Mine, Mine, Mine".

Mike Petrik said...

windmill

Narayanan said...

what would downwash from helicopter do to drones? calling FEMA to help out!

Narayanan said...

establish some nefarious precedent >>> against federalism and 10A

Narayanan said...

easier way >> what would downwash from helicopter do to drones?
calling FEMA to help out!

Narayanan said...

what would downwash from helicopter do to drones? calling FEMA to help out!

Narayanan said...

what would downwash from helicopter do to drones? calling FEMA to help out!

Tina Trent said...

It’s still a psych-op if they won’t tell us what the heck is going on.

I notice there aren’t any sightings in well-armed states. If it happened here, we’d have people shooting them down and getting to the bottom of this. Because even if it is being done to protect us, we deserve to know. Everything. There’s no excuse for not telling Americans what’s happening in American airspace, including who ordered it and who ordered it be kept secret.