Drones flown at night, starting 30 minutes after sunset and ending 30 minutes before sunrise, must have at least one anti-collision light visible from a distance of up to 5 kilometers and a flash frequency “sufficient to to avoid a collision,” it says to the FAA. Flying a drone for video or news gathering requires a drone pilot certificate and compliance with the FAA’s Small UAS Rule.
Authorization is required to fly a drone in airspace subject to temporary FAA flight restrictions, in controlled airspace surrounding an airport, and over a designated national security area, military base, infrastructure, or national landmark.
Last week in New Jersey, Pequannock Mayor Ryan Herd made national headlines when he dismissed state and federal attempts to explain the sightings as “ridiculous,” adding that “our government is failing us.” Herd later told the USA TODAY Network he saw about 60 drones in two different sizes in the community. He compared the smaller models to being the size of a suitcase, while the others were more the size of an SUV.
Herd said he hasn’t received any answers from federal officials and is upset that Gov. Phil Murphy skipped a virtual meeting where numerous state mayors discussed the issue.
“I didn’t get any answers. Nobody knew anything,” Herd said.
2 men charged in Boston: Officials said they deployed the drone “dangerously close” to the airport
Two men charged over drone incident near Logan Airport
Two men were arraigned in Boston on Monday, accused of conducting a “dangerous drone operation” too close to Logan International Airport. Robert Duffy, 42, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, are charged with trespassing and burglary and were released without bail pending trial. According to police, a third suspect was being sought.
Attorney Michael Martin, who represents Duffy, called the incident a “time issue.” He told WCVB-TV that the case would have gone unnoticed if there hadn’t been more attention paid to drones recently.
“We cooperated with everything, there was no report of anything breaking, and honestly if this was two months ago it would have been like, ‘Guys, you shouldn’t be filming here,’ and it would be “Don’t be a big problem,” Martin said.
Drone sightings: Timeline of reports, arrests and calls for response
Timeline: Mysterious drones appear on the East Coast
In mid-November, people began spotting several large drones in New Jersey at night, usually between dusk and 11 p.m., according to the Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. According to the Morris County District Attorney’s Office in New Jersey, law enforcement patrol officers also discovered the drones. Prosecutors said at the time that multiple agencies, including federal and state law enforcement partners, would “coordinate, monitor and investigate drone activity.”
The FAA issued the first of two temporary flight restrictions on Nov. 22, banning drones over Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey until Dec. 6. A second was later issued on December 4th, extending the restriction until December 20th.
At the beginning of December, interest in drones spread to other countries. On December 2, residents of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, spotted what appeared to be five large drones flying about 1,000 feet high. About 10 days later, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said he saw “dozens of large drones” over his Davidsonville home at night.
The next day, drone problems forced the closure of airspace over Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and New York Stewart International Airport, 70 miles north of New York City. Read more here.
− Anthony Robledo
Contributor: Kyle Morel, NorthJersey.com
