The Federal Aviation Administration bans drones in parts of New Jersey as UFO hysteria continues

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has imposed temporary flight restrictions on the operation of drones over parts of New Jersey, according to the British newspaper “Daily Mail”. He notices Published on the agency’s website. The ban on drone activity is likely related to the recent bout of mass hysteria over supposed drone sightings, though the agency has not explicitly said so. The Federal Aviation Administration told… New York Times The ban was imposed at the request of the “Federal Security Partners”, without further details.

Covers the drone ban 22 different communities in New Jersey It is scheduled to expire on January 17, 2025. It is not immediately clear why this expiration date was chosen. The FAA did not respond to Gizmodo’s questions about the specific timing of the flight restrictions and their relationship to the drone sightings in an email Thursday morning and directed us to the Department of Homeland Security.

“We continue to assess that there is no threat to public safety related to the reported drone sightings,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Gizmodo via email. The spokesperson did not answer our specific questions on the record.

“In coordination with the FAA and our critical infrastructure partners who requested temporary flight restrictions over their facilities, out of an abundance of caution, the FAA has issued temporary flight restrictions over certain critical infrastructure facilities in New Jersey,” the spokesperson wrote.

People in New Jersey began reporting strange “drones” in the sky to police around November 18, according to NBC News, and there have reportedly been sightings every day since, except for an apparent stop on Thanksgiving. Drones have caused more and more people to post videos taken of what they believe are drones. While some of the videos are difficult to interpret, the vast majority appear to be of ordinary commercial aircraft.

Although it’s not unusual for internet geeks to get upset over nothing, drone panic has spread to unexpected areas. Several elected leaders have called on the federal government to take action, including President-elect Donald Trump who claimed the government is trying to hide something and said they should be brought down.

But the concern was shared by both parties. Senator Chuck Schumer, the Democratic majority leader in the Senate, called for more action and exaggerated the hype.

“Some drones are small. Some drone flight patterns are erratic,” Schumer said Sunday NBC News. “Flying multiple drones together can overwhelm a traditional radar system, which is why, once again, this new technology can give us the answers we need.”

People are also pointing lasers at commercial flights, an extremely dangerous activity that can illuminate the interior of a cockpit and blind pilots. Laser strikes were already a serious problem, but they have become so common during the current drone hysteria that the FAA has been forced to issue a statement warning the public against doing so. Shining lasers at aircraft is a federal crime that can lead to prison time and hefty fines.

Some hard-to-believe theories about drones come from elected leaders, including one Republican congressman’s claims that they are actually being deployed by… Iranian mother ship Off the east coast of the United States

“Know that Iran has a deal with China to buy drones and motherships and technology going forward,” Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey said on Fox News. December 11. “My sources are good. They cannot reveal their identity because they are talking to me confidentially. These drones must be shot down.”

There is no evidence that Iran has deployed an unmanned mother ship, despite the fact that Van Drew has access to real power and should know things. Van Drew is a member of the US House of Representatives’ Subcommittee on Aviation. But nothing will surprise us at this point when it comes to strange sightings. With Trump taking power again in a month, things are set to get even stranger in the coming months and years, drones or not.