In recent years, the use of drones has become more and more popular. Whether it is for recreational purposes, commercial applications, or government law enforcement, drones can often be seen in the sky. For nearly a month, residents of New Jersey have been fascinated by bright lights floating or flying in the night sky. Drone sightings are causing people to question and even worry. How should we deal with it?
Can drones fly in the night sky?
The Federal Aviation Administration appropriately changed the rules last year to allow some drones to fly at night, but they also need to comply with relevant regulations and submit exemptions. Therefore, it is not possible to let drones take off at night and fill the sky with drones.
Read More: Why Use Drones At Night?
What are drones flying at night doing?
Drones flying at night can be used for night photography, public law enforcement, night search and rescue, wildfire rescue, agricultural protection, drone light shows, etc. As drone management becomes more and more stringent, drones cannot take off without authorization in some important areas.
According to reports of night drone sightings, bright objects occasionally illuminate the dark night sky. Some drones move quickly; some drones move slowly; some barely move and float in the air. Citizens and law enforcement who have observed these objects have also reported that their lights sometimes go out.
What are these nighttime drones really doing? Are they invading privacy? Are they a safety hazard? Are they violating any laws? Knowing how to respond to drone sightings is important.
We offer a guide to help you stay calm and handle situations like these.
How to respond to nighttime drone sightings?
First, drones flying at night must be exempted by the FAA. Second, the drone lights must not be turned off, and third, the drone must be within the operator's line of sight. These are the most important rules for flying drones at night.
Analyzing Drone Behavior
Determining Whether a Drone Is a Threat
Harmless Flight: If a drone is flying in an open area away from people or is clearly being used for recreational purposes, such as hovering over a park, there may be no reason to be overly concerned.
Suspicious Flight: If a drone flies low over private homes, crowded places, or critical infrastructure (such as airports and power plants), be wary because this may involve privacy violations or safety risks.
Observe the flight characteristics of drones
Drones are not obvious in the night sky. Visual observation of drones can only see that its fuselage is glowing, and it can be roughly judged that it is a drone.
If possible, we need to record the size, color, shape of the drone, whether it carries a camera or other accessories, flight time, flight altitude and speed, specific direction and flight trajectory. If the drone is suspected of violating privacy, the more data recorded, the more beneficial it is to combat such behavior.
Stay calm and do not do dangerous actions
Never try to shoot down a drone. According to the law, private individuals have no right to protect their rights by shooting down, capturing or interfering with drones. For example, shooting drones with guns, shining lasers on drones, or trying to drive them away with other tools. Such actions may cause drones to fall out of control and involve endangering public safety or destroying property.
Confirm the purpose of the drone
Find the operator
Drones usually need to be operated within visual range, so the operator may be near the drone. Politely asking the operator's intentions can quickly determine the legality of the drone.
Is there a legal mark?
In many countries and regions, drones need to be registered and affixed with a unique registration number, such as the FAA registration number in the United States. Witnesses can use these signs to help identify the legality of drones.
Determine whether it complies with flight regulations
A drone may be suspected of illegal flight if it:
- Exceeds the altitude range specified by regulations (usually below 120 meters).
- Enters a no-fly zone (such as near airports, military bases, and government facilities).
- Flying at night without proper marking lights.
If the drone's behavior is suspected of illegal, further action can be taken.
Record and report
Record details
- Take or record video and photos of the drone flight.
- Record the date, time, location, and flight behavior of the drone.
Contact relevant departments
Depending on the situation, you can report to local police and Faa authorities, as well as park management personnel, etc., to explain the illegal flight behavior of the drone and illegal behavior, such as voyeurism, illegal trespassing, or threats to safety.
Use drone tracking tools
Some drone regulatory tools or drone tracking applications can help identify drones and their operators.
Learn to protect privacy
If you are worried about drones invading your privacy, you can install blackout curtains on the windows to reduce the possibility of drone cameras shooting. Some drone technology protection tools, such as anti-drone equipment, can also detect and warn of nearby drone flight behavior. But for personal use, you need to pay attention to legality. If you use interference communication equipment privately, you may face fines, confiscation of equipment, or even imprisonment.
Popularize drone regulations and knowledge
Misunderstandings about drone sightings often stem from a lack of understanding of relevant regulations and technologies. As the public, we can learn more about local drone regulations. Educate drone users around us and encourage them to comply with regulations and respect the privacy of others. Strengthen communication between the community and drone operators to reduce unnecessary concerns.
If you find suspicious drones in some special areas, such as near airports, over large events, and near key facilities, please report them immediately to management and relevant departments to protect the location of the drone and your own personal safety.
Follow-up to New Jersey drone sightings
For weeks, the FBI Newark Division, the New Jersey State Police, and dozens of other law enforcement agencies have been tirelessly investigating these reports. They deploy advanced tracking tools and equipment to determine whether drones are illegally or maliciously operated. For illegal or malicious drone operations in the air, the Department of Defense is also actively increasing the deployment of counter-drone solutions.
As drone sightings in New Jersey increase, laser incidents are also increasing. Shooting down drones with lasers is an expression of public anger, but it is completely undesirable, which will increase the threat in the air and may result in prison and heavy fines.
Shulman, former vice president of policy at DJI, believes that the drone sightings in New Jersey may be caused by a variety of factors, including regular commercial air traffic, misidentification of drones, and even prank videos. Therefore, the public needs to be cautious about drones in the air.
Conclusion
Drones are increasingly used in modern society, but the resulting sightings also occur from time to time. By calmly analyzing drone behavior, recording key information, and contacting relevant departments as needed, we can properly deal with such incidents. At the same time, drone users should also consciously abide by regulations to ensure that their flight behavior is legal and compliant to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
