Concern, outrage and anger continued to build this week in response to a growing number of mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey, New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania.
“What is happening is outrageous. Thousands of drones and unmanned aerial systems flying above us, and our government is not telling us who’s operating them and for what purpose,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, a Republican from New York, said at a Friday press conference in Staten Island.
In a message posted to X on Friday, Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan blasted the Biden administration's response to the thousands of reported recent sightings as "entirely unacceptable."
“Last night, beginning around 9:45 p.m., I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland,” Hogan wrote, adding that “the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government.”
On Thursday, White House spokesman John Kirby indicated that the drone sightings may not be all that they seem.
"Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to — and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities — corroborate any of the reported visual sightings," he said. "To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully. The United States Coast Guard is providing support to the state of New Jersey, and has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels. And importantly, there are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace.”
A day earlier, the Pentagon threw cold water on claims made by Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey that the drones are coming from an "Iranian mothership" off the East Coast.
"There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there's no so-called mothership launching drones toward the United States," Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, wrote letters this week to President Biden and lawmakers of both parties calling on Congress to “pass legislation empowering state and local law enforcement entities to use advanced detection and mitigation technologies to deal with UAS [unmanned aircraft systems].”
Here’s a rundown of what laws are currently on the books governing the use of drones in U.S. airspace.
Laws on drone use
For starters, if you own a drone weighing more than 0.55 pounds, you are required to register it with the Federal Aviation Authority. It costs $5 to register a drone, which is good for three years. As of Oct. 1, 791,597 drones had been registered nationwide, according to figures provided by the FAA.
Federal law also requires that, in order to operate a drone for commercial purposes, one must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate issued by the FAA.
To fly a drone for recreational purposes, you must pass a Recreational UAS Safety test and carry proof of having done so when flying. You must also follow the FAA's rules governing recreational drone use, including restrictions on speed, altitude and air space. You are required to avoid flying your drone near people, property and sensitive areas such as government facilities and infrastructure.
Additional state laws also restrict the operation of drones. In New York, for instance, launching, landing or operating an unmanned aircraft in a state park or a historic site is allowed only with prior written approval from state agencies. Among the statewide restrictions in New Jersey, no one is allowed to operate a drone who is under the influence of drugs or who has a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent or higher.
Growing popularity of drones
Drones have become big business around the world over the past few years. In 2024, sales in the U.S. are expected to top $6.8 billion, according to the market research company Fact.Mr.
On Cyber Monday this year, for instance, the internet was full of deals on drones.
"The demand for drones is rising due to the growing popularity of steady and high-quality aerial photography and videography on various occasions. Technological advancements and manufacturing innovations have further made the product popular among users," Grand View Research, a market research and consulting company, says on its website.
Why the recent drone sightings have sparked concern
While drones are nothing new in the skies over the U.S. (the FAA issued its first certificate of operation in 2006), the uptick in the number of sightings reported to state and federal officials in places like New Jersey has been notable.
This week, an FBI official told Congress that the bureau had received more than 3,000 tips from the public about mysterious drone encounters, CBS News reported. The bulk of those took place after dark.
On Thursday, drones were spotted flying in Bronx, N.Y., just before dawn. But by the time local officials responded, the unmanned aircraft had vanished.
Multiple reports have been made of drones entering the airspace of Naval Weapons Station Earle, in Colts Neck, N.J., officials said Friday, ABC News reported.
Stranger still, in some cases residents have reported seeing multiple drones flying in apparent coordination, CNN reported. Montvale, N.J., Mayor Mike Ghassali said that the reported drone flights could sometimes last for up to six hours.