This has gone too far': Gov. Kathy Hochul sounds alarm after drone activity shuts down NY airport

[Mary Wilson]

Saturday, December 14, 2024 6:11PM

NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is sounding the alarm on recent sightings of drones across New York after suspected drone activity shut down an airport in Orange County.

Officials at Stewart International Airport, located roughly 60 miles north of New York City, said they shut down their runways for an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration alerted them that a drone was spotted in the area around 9:30 p.m. ...

The FAA said it "slowed traffic" at the airport because of the reported drone sightings near and over the airport. The agency added that no aircraft were impacted. The airport temporarily closed its runways, but no flight operations were impacted during the closure. ...

Hochul called on the New York State Intelligence Center to probe the drone sighting incidents but also called on the federal government to do more. ...

https://abc7ny.com/post/ny-nj-drones-concerns-continue-grow-suspected-sightings-new-york-jersey-tri-state/15655159/

[Mary Wilson]

Drones over US: Pentagon shoots down Iran 'mothership' claim amid NJ drone mystery

Thursday, December 12, 2024 12:25PM
By Meredith Deliso, ABC News

NEW JERSEY -- The Pentagon shot down a congressman's claim that an Iranian "mothership" is behind large drones spotted over New Jersey in recent weeks, while officials in the state are demanding a stronger federal response and transparency in connection with the mysterious, unexplained sightings.

Since mid-November, large drones of uncertain origin have been repeatedly spotted in the sky at night over central and northern New Jersey, including near a military installation.

State and local officials convened at a closed-door meeting Wednesday morning at the New Jersey State Police headquarters with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security to address the matter, according to several officials in attendance. ...

https://abc7chicago.com/post/new-jersey-drones-flying-pentagon-says-is-not-any-truth-iranian-mothership-claim-amid-mysterious-nj-drone-sightings/15646989/

[Mary Wilson]

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California

Northern California Man Arrested for Allegedly Flying Drone Over and Photographing Vandenberg Space Force Base

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

LOS ANGELES – A Northern California man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint for allegedly flying a drone over and taking photographs of Vandenberg Space Force Base, the Justice Department announced today.

Yinpiao Zhou, 39, of Brentwood, is charged with failure to register an aircraft not providing transportation and violation of national defense airspace.

Zhou was arrested Monday at San Francisco International Airport prior to boarding a China-bound flight and made his initial appearance Tuesday in United States District Court in San Francisco.

Zhou remains in federal custody pending prosecutors’ appeal of a federal magistrate judge’s decision to release him. No plea was taken and his arraignment is expected to be scheduled in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

“This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the base's layout, which is against the law,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The security of our nation is of paramount importance and my office will continue to promote the safety of our nation’s military personnel and facilities.” ...

https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/brentwood-man-arrested-allegedly-flying-drone-over-and-photographing-vandenberg-space

[Mary Wilson]

US officials say most Northeast drone sightings are actually manned aircraft

December 14, 20244:49 PM CST Updated 2 hours ago
By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Officials from the White House, FBI and DHS on Saturday stressed that most of the recent reported drone sightings in New Jersey and nearby states involved manned aircraft, and there was no evidence of any national security threat.

An FBI official told reporters during an impromptu briefing that the agency was working with 50 local, state and federal partners to look into increased reports. The official said less than 100 of the over 5,000 reported sightings had turned out to merit further investigation, and all of the large fixed-wing reported sightings so far involved manned aircraft. ...

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-officials-say-most-northeast-drone-sightings-are-actually-manned-aircraft-2024-12-14/

[Commonground]

Albany, NY
December 15, 2024
Statement From Governor Kathy Hochul


“In response to my calls for additional resources, our federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York State. This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations. We are grateful to the Biden Administration for their support, but ultimately we need further assistance from Congress. Passing the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act will give New York and our peers the authority and resources required to respond to circumstances like we face today.”

https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/statement-governor-kathy-hochul-43

[Mary Wilson]

U.S. Department of Defense

Reports of Drone Incursions Taken Seriously, DOD Spokesman Says

Dec. 17, 2024 | By Jim Garamone, DOD News

The Defense Department is taking all reports of drones seriously and working with the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration to examine the sightings and assess the situation, Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said today.

"Just to kind of put this into context, … [there are] over a million drones registered in the United States, and on any day, approximately 8,500 drones are in flight," Ryder said at a news conference. "The vast majority of these drones are going to probably be recreational or hobbyist. They're going to be commercial drones used in things like architecture, engineering, farming or they could be used for law enforcement."

It is possible some of the drones could be up to malign activities, "but for the vast majority that is not the case," he said.

Drones flying near or over U.S. military installations is not something new, the general said. "We take all of those [reports] seriously," he said. "Typically, when we detect them, we attempt to classify them and take appropriate measures. Is it possible that some of those are surveillance? Absolutely. Can you make that assumption in every case? Not necessarily so."

Local installation commanders have the authorities to respond appropriately and will continue to do so.

DOD is sending additional resources to Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle — both in New Jersey — to better enable the installations to detect, track and monitor drone activity, Ryder said. Commanders can use the recently released counter unmanned systems strategy to craft their responses to any incursions. ...

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/4008836/reports-of-drone-incursions-taken-seriously-dod-spokesman-says/

[Commonground]

FAA Issues Temporary Flight Ban on Drones in Areas Across New Jersey

The ban was made amid heightened concerns over drones seen flying across the state in recent weeks.
12/19/2024Updated: 12/19/2024

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary ban on drone operations in multiple areas across New Jersey until next month unless operators are given special permission, amid heightened concerns over recent sightings of the unmanned vehicles.

...paywall

https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/faa-issues-temporary-flight-ban-on-drones-in-areas-across-new-jersey-5779163?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=ZeroHedge

[Mary Wilson]

7-year-old boy struck by drone at Lake Eola is stable after emergency heart surgery, mom says

December 23, 2024 at 6:15 pm EST
By Sabrina Maggiore, WFTV.com

ORLANDO, Fla. — A 7-year-old boy is recovering from heart surgery after his mother said a drone hit him during a holiday show at Lake Eola.

Adriana Edgerton, told Channel 9 that her son Alezander had to undergo open heart surgery after he was hit by a falling drone Saturday evening.

In a text message, Edgerton told Channel 9 the boy is now in stable condition.

However, according to Edgerton, the drone “electrocuted his heart,” and damaged one of the boy’s heart valves.

She told Channel 9 the injuries “Worse than expected. It was said the impact was like a bomb went off.”

As Alezander continues to recover, the National Transportation Safety Board announced that it is joining the Federal Aviation Administration in investigating the drone malfunction. ...

https://www.wftv.com/news/local/7-year-old-boy-struck-by-drone-lake-eola-is-stable-after-emergency-heart-surgery-mom-says/KKXJEY6AP5BUJMXNOLTOWO3PNM/