New Jersey Drone Sightings May Not Be Drones. By Professor Will Austin.
- Thread starter The Droning Company
- Start date
I live in NJ and yes some sightings are people being confused about manned aviation.
But there are plenty of sightings by people who are pilots, sUAS operators, LE, Public Safety and others with the background to know a sUAS from manned aviation.
I was close to an area where these sightings were and in the far distance were anti-collision lights and navigation lights flying low and slow in a grid pattern. They were way too far to make any reasoanble identification, but Flight Radar 24 did not have any aircraft showing in that direction.
I think the sightings are a mix of true sightings and mixups on manned aviation.
And the fact that people claim they are flying back and forth at times goes with this being some kind of data collection. Mapping drone fly grids to make their product.
If you can think of an exotic payload, make it small enough to fit on a drone, the possibilities are endless in what kind of data collection is going on.
The NGS just finished using manned aviation and terrestrial sources to measure gravity for the entire country to produce the new elevation datum that will be released in the next 1 to 2 years. So the possibilities for what sensors are on drones are almost endless. There could easily be testing for gathering cell phone signals, mesh networking for drone swarms etc.
Hopefully we find out this mystery.
But there are plenty of sightings by people who are pilots, sUAS operators, LE, Public Safety and others with the background to know a sUAS from manned aviation.
I was close to an area where these sightings were and in the far distance were anti-collision lights and navigation lights flying low and slow in a grid pattern. They were way too far to make any reasoanble identification, but Flight Radar 24 did not have any aircraft showing in that direction.
I think the sightings are a mix of true sightings and mixups on manned aviation.
And the fact that people claim they are flying back and forth at times goes with this being some kind of data collection. Mapping drone fly grids to make their product.
If you can think of an exotic payload, make it small enough to fit on a drone, the possibilities are endless in what kind of data collection is going on.
The NGS just finished using manned aviation and terrestrial sources to measure gravity for the entire country to produce the new elevation datum that will be released in the next 1 to 2 years. So the possibilities for what sensors are on drones are almost endless. There could easily be testing for gathering cell phone signals, mesh networking for drone swarms etc.
Hopefully we find out this mystery.
Here's the significant line from that article.
“For now, though, most of these sightings appear to involve recreational drones or misidentifications."
“For now, though, most of these sightings appear to involve recreational drones or misidentifications."
AeroJ
Well-Known Member
Not just NJ, and not just US - we have them over US bases here in the UK too apparently.
I watched that hilarious senate hearing this afternoon, where the FBI mainly shrugged and said they didn't know what they were, and that, despite being lit up like xmas trees most of the time, they 'go dark and disappear whenever we try to track them', which sounded rather lame at best !
Doesn't inspire confidence does it ?! At least though the media hasn't gone mad trying to blame hobbyists like they usually do.
I post the below not because I have any reason to assume its veracity, but because it is an unusually clear set of pictures showing lights that are not in any sort of pattern I would associate with manned aircraft, and because I'm just fascinated to know what it is, and, more widely what they are ! Against my better judgement, I don't think all these sightings are regular craft. Some of them definitely are, but the ones that aren't REALLY aren't !
Curious to know what you lot think...
I watched that hilarious senate hearing this afternoon, where the FBI mainly shrugged and said they didn't know what they were, and that, despite being lit up like xmas trees most of the time, they 'go dark and disappear whenever we try to track them', which sounded rather lame at best !
Doesn't inspire confidence does it ?! At least though the media hasn't gone mad trying to blame hobbyists like they usually do.
I post the below not because I have any reason to assume its veracity, but because it is an unusually clear set of pictures showing lights that are not in any sort of pattern I would associate with manned aircraft, and because I'm just fascinated to know what it is, and, more widely what they are ! Against my better judgement, I don't think all these sightings are regular craft. Some of them definitely are, but the ones that aren't REALLY aren't !
Curious to know what you lot think...
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(@AeroJ, I appreciate you sharing this and my comments are in no way critical of you. I'm just astonished at the width, breadth, and depth of creative explanations of the light-in-the-sky reports and the indignation, anger, and fear created.)
I think that 14 minutes of overly dramatic, logic-challenged Youtube video is too much to endure. This is the work of someone fishing for clicks. The alleged photos are described as being from the UK, not New Jersey. But they're somehow related and part of a coordinated effort program. They're possibly military "stealth drones" that are inexplicably lighted up like Christmas trees.
The computer generated voice makes some ridiculous claims. Somehow the blurry photos show that the object is metallic and "offer a detailed view of the craft, including it's precise shape, lighting pattern, and reflective surface." I'm not seeing much detail.
Well, the text accompanying the video declares that there are "three to four lights on the underside," which contradicts the "lighting pattern" supposedly revealed by the photos. The text also offers this report, "One of the most peculiar incidents involves a family from Morris County, whose car’s clock mysteriously changed time while they were following one of these mysterious objects.
I bailed out about a third of the way in. If anyone endures the entire thing, please let me know if I missed something important.
AeroJ
Well-Known Member
It's OK, I don't take offence, and my quantum flapdoodle detection radar remains on constant high alert !
But that particular channel has been going for years and years (I follow them mainly for entertainment reasons) and it is a real guy voicing it over, or at least no different a voice than it has been for the last 10 years, before such things were possible !
But more 'serious' people are taking these a lot more seriously recently - you say that video wasn't worth the time, but I have just seen an hour long video on the subject from trusted (and furiously famously rational) UK channel Geeksvana, and another hour-long banger from News Nation (don't know anything about them, but they are asking the right sort of questions) on today's sub-committee meetings about the NJ and Florida events, so people are really devoting a lot of time to discussion of it now, and they're not all UFO conspiracy whackjobs !
I am following it, and allowing myself to drift down the rabbit-hole a bit today because - well, you know - we all like a good mystery right ?!
But that particular channel has been going for years and years (I follow them mainly for entertainment reasons) and it is a real guy voicing it over, or at least no different a voice than it has been for the last 10 years, before such things were possible !
But more 'serious' people are taking these a lot more seriously recently - you say that video wasn't worth the time, but I have just seen an hour long video on the subject from trusted (and furiously famously rational) UK channel Geeksvana, and another hour-long banger from News Nation (don't know anything about them, but they are asking the right sort of questions) on today's sub-committee meetings about the NJ and Florida events, so people are really devoting a lot of time to discussion of it now, and they're not all UFO conspiracy whackjobs !
I am following it, and allowing myself to drift down the rabbit-hole a bit today because - well, you know - we all like a good mystery right ?!
The article you mentioned suggests that many of the mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey might not actually be drones at all. Professor Will Austin, an expert in the field, believes that some of these sightings could be misidentified manned aircraft. He points out that smaller drones are likely being operated legally at night, and there's no evidence to support claims of larger, unauthorized drones flying around.
While there have been some sightings near sensitive locations like the Picatinny Arsenal, the overall consensus seems to be that these sightings are not a major threat to public safety. However, the FBI is still investigating the matter and asking for the public's help in gathering information
While there have been some sightings near sensitive locations like the Picatinny Arsenal, the overall consensus seems to be that these sightings are not a major threat to public safety. However, the FBI is still investigating the matter and asking for the public's help in gathering information
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You would think that when the Pilots who described the UFO/ Drones traveling at Super Sonic Speed would have made a dent in there thinking at that committee meeting as but it seemed like the idea was to brain wash and miss direction.
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-MavicMiniPilot
Well-Known Member
I spotted one too! They are saying they came from Iran? I don’t know what to believe! 
It's OK, I don't take offence, and my quantum flapdoodle detection radar remains on constant high alert !
But that particular channel has been going for years and years (I follow them mainly for entertainment reasons) and it is a real guy voicing it over, or at least no different a voice than it has been for the last 10 years, before such things were possible !
But more 'serious' people are taking these a lot more seriously recently - you say that video wasn't worth the time, but I have just seen an hour long video on the subject from trusted (and furiously famously rational) UK channel Geeksvana, and another hour-long banger from News Nation (don't know anything about them, but they are asking the right sort of questions) on today's sub-committee meetings about the NJ and Florida events, so people are really devoting a lot of time to discussion of it now, and they're not all UFO conspiracy whackjobs !
I am following it, and allowing myself to drift down the rabbit-hole a bit today because - well, you know - we all like a good mystery right ?!
It's just hard to take someone's information seriously when they make such blatant mistakes about simple details.
I think computer generated voices have been around for more than 10 years. I remember my friend lamenting the replacement of the sweet little lady who read the marine weather forecasts with what he called the "artificial German" in 2005 or 2006.
You're certainly right about the lights in the sky being a mystery.
One of the most effective ways to convince Americans that the story is true is to tell them the story with blurry photographs and a clipped British accent.
AeroJ
Well-Known Member
Yep, definitely agree a lot of what is being latterly reported by the general public seems to be a lot of manned aviation.
Things with flashing green and red lights do seem to feature quite heavily. But, in what I will endeavour to make the last video I post on the subject, here is a very interesting one I found yesterday containing radio comms between various pilots in-flight and a delightfully curious ATC. What they are reporting is zipping in and out over the coast, moving at incredible speeds between 14K and 55K (!) flight level and is showing up on TCAS !
So what's THAT then ?! THESE people are not lunatics
Things with flashing green and red lights do seem to feature quite heavily. But, in what I will endeavour to make the last video I post on the subject, here is a very interesting one I found yesterday containing radio comms between various pilots in-flight and a delightfully curious ATC. What they are reporting is zipping in and out over the coast, moving at incredible speeds between 14K and 55K (!) flight level and is showing up on TCAS !
So what's THAT then ?! THESE people are not lunatics
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My cousin heard from a guy whose cousin said his girlfriend's hairdresser heard they were from the planet ORK where Mork was from.
Nanoo. Nanoo!
I spotted the "drones" tonight or 3 manned aviation aircraft not transmitting on ADS-B.
I had Flight Radar 24 running and was easily able to say what lights were the manned aviation and what lights flying much lower were not on Flight Radar. 3 people I called in various areas also could see them.
The ones I saw may have been flying a grid pattern, back and forth over pretty large distances. All of them were very far north of me.
Another thing I learned is that wow, you can spot manned avaition from extremely long distances at night and with good visibility.
I had Flight Radar 24 running and was easily able to say what lights were the manned aviation and what lights flying much lower were not on Flight Radar. 3 people I called in various areas also could see them.
The ones I saw may have been flying a grid pattern, back and forth over pretty large distances. All of them were very far north of me.
Another thing I learned is that wow, you can spot manned avaition from extremely long distances at night and with good visibility.
Jim Martin
Active Member
GregS
Well-Known Member
Someone FINALLY got a clear photo!!!
It amazes me with all the current cameras that NO ONE can actually get a clear photo of these 'things'. The 'clear photo' of the 3 items mentioned in AeroJ's post above, is not really that clear. At least I can't make out what they really are. These sightings have been in the news for days. So, we are being told no one knows what they are?? Like no one has gone into that area and waited until they landed? None of this makes sense.
AeroJ
Well-Known Member
Now I've had more time to think about it and check a few things, I think the 'clearest' pic set below is probably a night flyer Kite... too low res to make out the string ?
If we search LED kite on google there's some very similar looking stuff available...
If we search LED kite on google there's some very similar looking stuff available...
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