Mystery Drones

[Last hard class]

Apparently the drones have struck again. Causing the shut down of a runway at Stewart airport. Anyone with a good C......... theory?

Tech geeks? Chinese citizens? Iran? Dr Evil?
I'm trying to stay invested until the the inauguration.




LHC

[MR2]

Something to do w testing for drone based delivery.

[GratefulCitizen]

Pterodynamics X-P4.
They’re the Navy’s.

Who knows why the PR campaign is so weird.

<edit>

Here’s a professional assessment:
https://x.com/milalovesjoe/status/1868042627360403849?s=61

[PSM]

At the end of July, the FAA reassigned EWR (Newark) from New York TRACON (Approach/Departure Control) to Philidelphia TRACON. This necessitated a realignment of both approach and departure routes through the Northeast Corridor airspace, including LGA and JFK. With the time change and lack of foliage in the Fall, it's likely that people are seeing aircraft landing lights at night that they are not used to seeing. Calls to the press exacerbated the hysteria and (remember Flash Mobs?) I have no doubt that some droners are doing similar things with drones. With all the press attention, people are also out looking for them.

UFO story: When I was an instructor and the US Army Combat Surveillance/Electronic Warfare School at Ft. Huachuca, we were a major reason for UFO sighting in SE AZ. After I got out of the Army I got a job in TV in Tucson. We ran reports of these sightings one night. The next day I told the news director what it was that the reports were describing and told him that I could get him on Ft. Huachuca to see for himself. He declined. This was 1971. Fake News isn't new.

[bblhead672]

Alternate conspiracy theory: Elements within the US Gov't are trying to ban the importation and use of Chinese made drones, specifically DJI drones. These "unknown drones" are a false flag by US agencies or military to support the legislation to ban the Chinese drones.

Or perhaps they're just scared shitless after seeing how drones worked in their favorite European charity of Ukraine.

(conspiracy hat off) :D

[TOMAHAWK9521]

A lot of hubbub going around today that the drones flying over the east coast may be trying to sniff out radioactive material. Does it have anything to do with the recent drone/UAP over in Oregon? What about Right Pat AFB closing its airspace? Also, I have family in central Ohio who said drones have supposedly been spotted in the area as well.


It’s those darn little green men from Mars, I tell ya. They sure are stirring up quite the kerfuffle with their R/C space ships.

[Box]

If only there was a way to see if the airspace around there has something official going on - instead of having to rely on the lies and sensationalism of disrruputable "journalists"

If only there was a system that provided a notice to airmen so they would know what's going on... (https://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_8833.html)

The government and media will tell us the truth - we just have to be patient.

[MR2]

Analyst Comments from today's S2Undergriund

The implementation of a “drone detection system” in New York is interesting in that framing the response in this manner signals the lack of understanding regarding drone detection and surveillance. The U.S. government doesn’t have a magic suitcase of tech that can make everything okay. There’s much more to it than that; drone detection and mitigation technology is an extremely wide and varied subject area, with many different means of monitoring aerial objects. From NORAD’s extremely capable suite of radar systems, to satellite-based technologies, to the intricate web of counter-drone technologies, down to the individual user level in many cases, there are a plethora of options for detecting what these “drones” might be, and where they originate from. This morning, President Trump alluded to as much, very bluntly stating that the U.S. government knows exactly what the situation is regarding the drones that have genuinely been observed. This matter-of-fact statement points to what is fairly obvious; the chances of the US government not already tracking every piece of technology in the United States, are zero. There is absolutely zero chance that at least two dozen different federal agencies haven’t already weeded out the fake/erroneous reports from the genuine sightings, and already identified where these “drones” are coming from.
More broadly however, in the realm of national security, sometimes wishing will indeed make it so. Right now, there are very real drone threats to critical infrastructure and sensitive military sites that have been present for many years before the New Jersey situation captured the imaginations of many. Now that the nation is spun up on this, malign actors have almost certainly come out of the woodwork to take advantage of the fray and conduct operations on their own. Unfortunately, due to the nature of social media, anyone with a slightly plausible theory as to what the “drone” crisis is all about can rocket to the height of stardom, solely based on the impossibility of proving a negative. The complete lack of trust the American people have in government exacerbates this phenomenon, as no one believes the official narrative anyway.
Currently, the most alarming narrative that has made the rounds on social media is the theory that these “drones” are somehow related to a secret search for nuclear or radiological material. So far, no evidence supports this theory, and what evidence appears to support the theory can easily be explained by other details. For instance, claims have been made that the “drones” are conducting an aerial search for hidden nuclear material, or even a nuclear weapon. However, upon closer examination, this theory falls apart rather quickly. For one, small drones make for a rather poor radiological isotope detector platform. There is a reason that all of the known US government “nuke sniffer” platforms are based on very large aircraft. For example, the main nuclear material detection platform currently in active service with the US military is the WC-135 CONSTANT PHOENIX platform, a multi-engine fixed wing platform. None of the CONSTANT PHOENIX platforms currently in active service have made any deviation from their normally observed pattern of activity.
Another detail that derails the “nuke sniffing” theory is that none of the “drones” have been observed conducting any sort of search pattern. If unmanned aircraft were being used to collect data on radiological threats, some form of a search pattern would be required for the effort to be worthwhile. As it stands, no one has seen any of these “drones” for more than a few seconds at a time.
Some claims have been made that radiation detectors within New York City have allegedly reported a “spike” in radiation detected over the past few days, allegedly adding some weight to the fissile material theory. Once again, closer examination of the data provides more clarity. The primary source of these claims lies with a consumer-grade website that allows owners of a particular kind of consumer-grade Geiger Counter to upload their data to the internet, and thus crowdsource a national map of radiation data. Herein lies the first problem; this website (GMCMap) is most certainly not a reliable scientific source, despite its best intentions. Since almost everyone who will spend their money on a Geiger counter or scintillation detector will also at some point own a check source, there’s nothing preventing a user from holding a check source up to their meter that is streaming data online. In short, an individual user can put a rock on their desk next to their Geiger counter (which is streaming its data online), and make the whole state think that Chernobyl 2.0 just occurred. This happens frequently, with large spikes of radiation being “detected” all the time on many of these crowdsourced sensor networks. Couple this with the minor detail that these specific kinds of devices are known to house rather insensitive Geiger–Müller tubes, this data is not entirely an indicator of much. On the contrary, the various calibrated and certified radiological detectors strategically placed all around the state (and under the control of many different groups, agencies, private companies, and educational institutions) have reported no abnormal radiological concerns over the past few weeks. None of the authorities who wear Personal Radiation Detectors (PRDs) every day, nor the statically-emplaced counterterrorism detection tools strategically set up around the city, have reported anything abnormal with regards to radiological concerns throughout the area.
Additionally, some engagement-farming accounts on social media have claimed that a shipment of nuclear material has gone missing in New York, and that this is somehow related to the drone sightings. Again, closer investigation reveals that a radiological source did go missing three days ago, as reported by Nuclear Regulatory Commission Event Number 57455. However, the source (a Ge-68 pin source used in the medical field) is vastly too small to even be detected from a few feet away, much less than by a mystery drone.
As a reminder, radiological material goes missing shockingly frequently, and thus the focus on such a small source of radiological material is probably undertaken by those who don’t know any better, or by those seeking to capitalize on the fear of anything with the word “nuclear” attached to it. For perspective, this particular missing source of radiological material has a reported activity level of 0.267 mCi. So, if a person were to eat it (and thus absorb 100% of the decaying particles into their body, just as a worst case scenario), in an hour they would receive the equivalent of two abdominal CT scans. Which is hardly akin to handling graphite from the core of an RBMK reactor.
Perhaps the biggest consideration during this “drone” affair is that this incident kicked off over a week ago…but zero clear pictures of drones have been provided by anyone so far. Despite being one of the most densely populated regions in the United States, and the “drones” being well-lit and slow-flying, not one photo has been provided that clearly indicates an object is not a commercial aircraft or a consumer grade quadcopter. Considering the Chinese Spy Balloon crisis, which emerged in one of the least densely-populated states in the country…locals were still able to get professional-grade imagery of the first balloon instantly. As such, the absence of tens of thousands of clear photos in New Jersey is a strong indicator of what the reality of the situation might be.
However, the danger with realizing that most of this incident is purely hysteria, is that the real and palpable drone threats become dismissed as well. It would be very unwise throw the initial drone observations out with the bathwater, just like it would be unwise to dismiss the other very real drone concerns around the country.
Analyst: S2A1

[Badger52]

Elements within the US Gov't are trying to ban the importation and use of Chinese made drones, specifically DJI drones.Funny. Fact is, unless software modified or special-use waiver approved by the airspace holder, DJI drones won't go into or function inside a variety of restricted areas. Verified personally. They won't proceed in or, if already inside when powered on, won't lift off.

[Last hard class]

Funny. Fact is, unless software modified

Finally, I smell an opportunity for Dr. Evil.

Or maybe a bored 14 year kid.



LHC

[Badger52]

Finally, I smell an opportunity for Dr. Evil.

Or maybe a bored 14 year kid.

LHCLOL, true enough. I have a grandson of a type where this'd be right in his wheelhouse.

[bblhead672]

The Bee has an update...
Drone Problem Solved After They Try Flying Over Texas (https://babylonbee.com/news/drone-problem-solved-after-they-try-flying-over-texas)
:D

[Old Dog New Trick]

The Bee has an update...
Drone Problem Solved After They Try Flying Over Texas (https://babylonbee.com/news/drone-problem-solved-after-they-try-flying-over-texas)
:D

I had seen a meme about this recently on Facebook and laughed out loud. As a current drone pilot for recreational purposes operating with TRUST certification and working on obtaining my Part 107 UAV Pilots license so I can use them for work as well, I’m amazed at the lack of public knowledge and media exposure - that while me flying a drone over my neighborhood under 400’ is perfectly legal (as long as I’m not hovering around your windows, swimming pool or other voyeuristic activity) that some of my more vocal social media posters in the neighborhood will say, “if I see one flying over my property, I’ll shoot it down!”

I guess they don’t know that besides some local laws being broken about that, the federal laws will put them in a nice federal prison for five years and fine them up to $250,000 for shooting at any aircraft manned or unmanned. You don’t own the airspace above your property up to infinity. Shine a laser at a drone, same federal offense as shining one on a commercial or private plane.

I have four DJI drones and have flown them in Texas and California so far and they will notify you of any airspace restrictions (airspace classification) or simply not allow you to take off. If you haven’t told the software you have an approved LAANC (Air Control Tower) authorization it won’t fly outside the allowed geo-coordinates, altitude, or allow you to take off.

If the government is so concerned about Chinese aerial surveillance and mapping services maybe they should talk to Google, Tom-Tom and SPOT or the private single engine aircraft that fly over my house (sometimes) below 400’.

As for New Jersey, my first thoughts were “those are commercial aircraft taking off or landing on a new or rarely used runway.” Which probably also created new air corridors for smaller private planes to fly in and out of a multitude of airports in and around New Jersey/New York.

Sheesh, I don’t even know how to turn off the lights on my drones, not saying it can’t be done but the settings don’t have a switch for that.

[TOMAHAWK9521]

Even if the drones can turn off their lights, how do they mask their heat signatures? Even electric drones should be tracked with FLIR. Or am I wrong thinking they generate enough heat for that to be possible?

[bblhead672]

I had seen a meme about this recently on Facebook and laughed out loud. As a current drone pilot for recreational purposes operating with TRUST certification and working on obtaining my Part 107 UAV Pilots license so I can use them for work as well, I’m amazed at the lack of public knowledge and media exposure - that while me flying a drone over my neighborhood under 400’ is perfectly legal (as long as I’m not hovering around your windows, swimming pool or other voyeuristic activity) that some of my more vocal social media posters in the neighborhood will say, “if I see one flying over my property, I’ll shoot it down!”

I guess they don’t know that besides some local laws being broken about that, the federal laws will put them in a nice federal prison for five years and fine them up to $250,000 for shooting at any aircraft manned or unmanned. You don’t own the airspace above your property up to infinity. Shine a laser at a drone, same federal offense as shining one on a commercial or private plane.

I have four DJI drones and have flown them in Texas and California so far and they will notify you of any airspace restrictions (airspace classification) or simply not allow you to take off. If you haven’t told the software you have an approved LAANC (Air Control Tower) authorization it won’t fly outside the allowed geo-coordinates, altitude, or allow you to take off.

If the government is so concerned about Chinese aerial surveillance and mapping services maybe they should talk to Google, Tom-Tom and SPOT or the private single engine aircraft that fly over my house (sometimes) below 400’.

As for New Jersey, my first thoughts were “those are commercial aircraft taking off or landing on a new or rarely used runway.” Which probably also created new air corridors for smaller private planes to fly in and out of a multitude of airports in and around New Jersey/New York.

Sheesh, I don’t even know how to turn off the lights on my drones, not saying it can’t be done but the settings don’t have a switch for that.

It's just crazy how many people think they can go after drones over their property. Obviously the general public is uneducated on the laws and rules concerning drones because it's just not something they bother to research.

I'm working on Part 107 as well. I'm using Pilot Institute for preparation. The guy that runs it does a weekly update on Youtube. Last week he showed a picture of two of those NJ "drones" that when the picture was blown up were clearly piloted aircraft/helicopters.

My DJI drone Mini2 doesn't have lights so no night flights for me until I buy a more expensive model.

[Last hard class]

Looks like DJI has removed the geofencing guard rails.


https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/14/24343928/dji-no-more-geofencing-no-fly-zone



Seems like a bad idea to me.



LHC

[Badger52]

Looks like DJI has removed the geofencing guard rails.


https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/14/24343928/dji-no-more-geofencing-no-fly-zone



Seems like a bad idea to me.



LHCEh, it's still up to the operator to adhere to what they said they would when they took their training or acquired whatever cert is needed if they're flying in a commercial role. It's not like DJI publishes a software update everytime the FAA puts up a NOTAM (even temporary) about a piece of airspace that's restricted for awhile. They couldn't manage that worldwide. On the other hand it IS incumbent upon the operator to be aware of that stuff, always, hobbyist or commercial. RemoteID for drones is what The Gov wants.

[Box]

You'd almost think that the chinese had some sort of connection and access to the data collected by these drones...

[Razor]

I agree with Badger. While geofencing makes life a lot easier for DOD installations, commercial airports, and public venues with high attendance, attempting to restrict the 'thing' to force the user's compliance looks awfully similar to biometric gun safeties and other gun control efforts. Freedom is hard and sometimes painful, but it sure beats the 'safety' of benevolent oppression.

Eh, it's still up to the operator to adhere to what they said they would when they took their training or acquired whatever cert is needed if they're flying in a commercial role. It's not like DJI publishes a software update everytime the FAA puts up a NOTAM (even temporary) about a piece of airspace that's restricted for awhile. They couldn't manage that worldwide. On the other hand it IS incumbent upon the operator to be aware of that stuff, always, hobbyist or commercial. RealID for drones is what The Gov wants.

[Badger52]

I agree with Badger. While geofencing makes life a lot easier for DOD installations, commercial airports, and public venues with high attendance, attempting to restrict the 'thing' to force the user's compliance looks awfully similar to biometric gun safeties and other gun control efforts. Freedom is hard and sometimes painful, but it sure beats the 'safety' of benevolent oppression.
Good summary. DJI also doesn't want to be put in the middle of a legal situation; "well, the machine let me do it!" They have said that, originally, they did the Geo-fencing as a voluntary step on their part to help operators fly responsibly. What they're doing is what they did in some EU countries a year ago. As you say, seems like "your tool, point in a safe direction before pulling trigger."


Also, in another move, they announced that operators who were storing their flight records sync'd with DJI in their cloud had to back them off by end of January as their flight records would be deleted.