The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued several Temporary Flight Restriction orders on Wednesday prohibiting the use of drones over portions of New Jersey after the region was flooded with reports of sightings.
The restrictions cover the airspace above over 20 cities in New Jersey, including Hamilton, Camden, Elizabeth, and Jersey City, and will be in effect until January 17, 2025.
The FAA’s order follows a month of repeated drone sightings over the U.S., including near government and military installations. While authorities have tried to ease fears, over 5,000 reports of drone sightings have been filed.
The FAA is working with the Department of Homeland Security to implement the new drone restrictions. They do not impact manned aviation, including airplanes and helicopters.
“We continue to assess there is no public safety threat relating to the reported drone sightings,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Decrypt.
The FAA and the department issued temporary restrictions over certain facilities following requests from critical infrastructure partners, the spokesperson 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 sightings have since spread to New York, Maryland, and as far west as California.
Officials have emphasized that there is no immediate danger to public safety. However, the surge in sightings has fueled speculation and criticism about the lack of transparency from federal authorities.
While some policymakers and citizens are growing increasingly alarmed, skeptics suggest the phenomenon may have more mundane explanations.
“When people see something they can’t identify—often just collections of lights—it’s difficult to determine what it is unless you’re an aviation expert,” author, UFO analyst, and noted skeptic Mick West told Decrypt.
“They interpret it based on what they’re looking for. This happens because when you see something in the sky, you don’t know how far away it is, how big it is, or how fast it’s moving. It could be a nearby drone moving at drone speeds or a distant plane.”
The sightings began in November and gained significant traction last week, going viral online and sparking widespread discussion. According to West, most of these reports—up to 99%—are likely misidentified airplanes, stars, or other everyday occurrences.
“People started looking for drones, reports of sightings emerged, and it reached local TV news,” West said. “That sparked more interest, leading others to search for drones and believe they were seeing them.”
Politicians on both sides of the aisle are urging military and intelligence agencies to act, including taking measures to shoot down drones where necessary.
“Because we have so many politicians involved, that becomes an issue as well,” West said. “They want to be seen as proactive.”
As media coverage expanded, reports of sightings began escalating, ultimately prompting congressional hearings and national news attention.
Some have even speculated that the drones are searching for lost or stolen radioactive material.
Reflecting on the public reaction, West attributed it to human nature.
“We’re evolutionarily primed to be afraid of things,” he said. “That’s because it’s more advantageous to run away from potential threats than to approach them and investigate.”
“We look for threats rather than looking for solutions,” West said.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
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