More Sightings Spur Restrictions On Non-Official Ops

The FAA has issued temporary restrictions on drone flights over parts of New Jersey after receiving an influx of additional sightings in recent weeks. Official drone flights supporting national defense, homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, or disaster relief are not subject to the restrictions.

Commercial drone ops are permitted but they must have a valid statement of work as well as a special government interest airspace waiver and applicable FAA rules must be followed.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), said neither the White House nor more broadly the U.S. government does not seem concerned about the increased sightings in New Jersey and other states in the Northeast.

Johnson said, “"Look, I'm the speaker of the House. I have the exact same frustrations that you do and all of us do. We don't have the answers. The administration is not providing them.”

He added that he had set up a meeting last week with officials from the DoD, Homeland Security, and the FBI but said the “answers are not forthcoming.”

One FBI official said the agency has received over 5,000 tips since the drones began appearing over New Jersey in November but of those, less than 100 warranted further investigation. He added that agency investigators have found no evidence of large-scale drone activity despite the recent bump in sightings.

The unnamed official said, "We're doing our best to find the origin of that specific… those drone activities. But I think there has been a slight overreaction."

FMI:  www.faa.gov/