[kscarrol]

Originally Posted by FrankMstein

Are you the one reporting to mods?

No, that’s not me. Simply pointing out that you keep crossing the mods line on politics. I find the whole thread highly entertaining…

[vreihen16]

The admins have made clear in the sticky note at the top of the OT section about the old "Politics & Religion" section being shut down that political discussion is 100% forbidden...including discussing their decision.

There are 23 listed BP-OT moderators, and who knows how many more unlisted ones. I am not one of them, but would bet that the forum software is racking up infraction points for a future trip to banned camp every time that an admin/moderator has to edit/remove these posts. As others who have been there can attest, banned camp is a cold and lonely place that nobody wants to visit a second time.....

[M5Rick]

At the last count there were around 1450 people working at the place known as Area 51 in Nevada with half of those being private contractors according to what I've seen. Visitors that are outside the restricted perimeter can be challenged by contracted armed security and advised, actually told to move on back.
I'm watching a team from the 'UFO Hunters' tv series cycle up to the public side of the military base not kicking up any dust attracting attention.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8p0s68

[wizardofOz]

Originally Posted by M5Rick

At the last count there were around 1450 people working at the place known as Area 51 in Nevada with half of those being private contractors according to what I've seen. Visitors that are outside the restricted perimeter can be challenged by contracted armed security and advised, actually told to move on back.
I'm watching a team from the 'UFO Hunters' tv series cycle up to the public side of the military base not kicking up any dust attracting attention.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8p0s68

Would a drone be easier and safer?

[vreihen16]

I don't know if anyone outside of the NYC/NJ metro area is seeing this in the news, but there have been a crazy amount of large "drones" being spotted during the nights over central NJ. Assuming that it is a massive hoax, the perpetrators are going out of their way to be spotted and mimic the light patterns of various UFO's from over the years.

The police are baffled, the FBI is baffled, the military says it's not them, the governor is frustrated that he can't get answers, and congress is holding a televised hearing this afternoon trying to get answers because the people in that area are freaking out.

The noon NYC TV news talking heads had more videos, now saying that they have been sighted in Pennsylvania as well. The FAA has also issued no-drone fly restrictions for an arsenal in PA and a certain famous golf course in NJ.

A few of the videos were obviously airplanes, but the public hysteria is real.....

[M5Rick]

Originally Posted by wizardofOz

Would a drone be easier and safer?

I would think with the 'deadly force' warning signs at the perimeter any unknown drone would be shot out of the sky in a jiffy probably by a hidden minigun or alternatively captured with a commanding ray knowing of the advanced tech they have there.

[vreihen16]

The NJ/PA drone sightings/hysteria have now expanded to NYC/Staten Island.....

https://hudsonvalleypost.com/ixp/705...-york-why-who/

FBI Investigates Series of Strange Drone Reports Over New York State & New Jersey

Hopkins
Published: December 10, 2024

Since a week before Thanksgiving in November, residents have been reporting clusters of unidentified drones that have been seen flying over the skies of several counties in New Jersey. Now, the drones have made it to parts of New York, as well as Pennsylvania. Who is flying them, and why?

According to The Guardian, the the Federal Bureau of Investigation has stepped in, and they are seeking answers. CBS News reports that the strange objects with blinking lights have been seen hovering over numerous areas, with some buzzing as low as the tree tops.

While elected officials have told residents that there is no immediate threat to the public, local leaders have notified law enforcement and federal officials over the matter. The Guardian reports that the Federal Aviation Administration has implemented temporary flight restrictions in the areas over Picatinny Arsenal military base and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.

The drone sightings which have confused, and even worried, many residents across New Jersey have made it to New York, according to NBC News. NBC reports that the nighttime drones have now been seen in Staten Island, with local Congress urging assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security.

There is no word as of yet if the drone sightings have extended beyond just Staten Island.

USA Today had reported that drones flying in New Jersey allegedly prevented a medical helicopter from picking up a person who had been hurt after a car crash.

Growing mystery over drone sightings in New York & New Jersey
The unmanned aerial vehicles have also been seen near "critical infrastructure such as water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments and military installations", according to a police chief in New Jersey.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

The NJ/PA drone sightings/hysteria have now expanded to NYC/Staten Island.....

https://hudsonvalleypost.com/ixp/705...-york-why-who/

So... ummm... crazy idea I know... but couldn't you just track them until they land?

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

So... ummm... crazy idea I know... but couldn't you just track them until they land?

Because the people who get called to do the tracking cannot arrive fast enough to see the alleged drone when a sighting is reported?

I suspect that there's a social media group somewhere coordinating dozens of people building drones and flying them locally just to be spotted and get attention. If so, they could be launching/landing them from a few blocks away and long gone before the authorities arrive to investigate. In our area, there used to be a secret group of small aircraft pilots (Stormville Pilots) back in the 1980's flying in formation with lights at night just to make fake UFO sightings.

If it was malicious or spy drones, they wouldn't be covered with bright lights trying to attract attention.....

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

Because the people who get called to do the tracking cannot arrive fast enough to see the alleged drone when a sighting is reported?

I suspect that there's a social media group somewhere coordinating dozens of people building drones and flying them locally just to be spotted and get attention. If so, they could be launching/landing them from a few blocks away and long gone before the authorities arrive to investigate. In our area, there used to be a secret group of small aircraft pilots (Stormville Pilots) back in the 1980's flying in formation with lights at night just to make fake UFO sightings.

If it was malicious or spy drones, they wouldn't be covered with bright lights trying to attract attention.....

Well every drone they showed in that video had it's bright drone lights on. Also something about launching counter drones so they seem to have the capabilities do full drone dogfights.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Also something about launching counter drones so they seem to have the capabilities do full drone dogfights.

If you've watched "On Patrol:Live" on TV long enough, you would see how much time it actually takes for police to get a portable drone in the air with an infrared camera on it to search for a fugitive in a neighborhood or field. These things don't have unlimited range or flight time between recharges, and I'm sure that the LED lighting isn't helping with the battery drain budget.

By the time that a "counter drone" arrived near the scene and was deployed, the pranksters will have gotten all of their TikTac views, packed the drone up in the family minivan/SUV, and be back in their parents' basements playing video games again.

It's only a matter of time until one of them gets caught or a drone is captured.....

[Maynard]

I think that part of this is the military keeping their cards close to the vest in terms of what their actual capabilities are for intercepting control messages and tracking very small objects. It would make sense for a hostile actor to use a prank type display (full lights and lots of drones operating where they will surely be seen) as a probe to try to figure this out. Since drones are increasingly used in combat/recon this type of spy-vs.-spy stuff gets more common. Certainly can't rule out pranksters, but these seem like fairly expensive gear for that.

[vreihen16]

What gives you the idea that they are being remotely controlled during flight? There are cheap DIY options to make autonomous drones with GPS navigation, with directions readily available online for someone to build and program flight paths/patterns.....

[vreihen16]

I saw a video posted by a political/conspiracy theory podcaster (hence not posting the link) on another forum about these drone sightings, showing some media/online video clips of these "drones" over NJ.

This one made me crack up laughing, because the podcaster said that it looked like a next-gen military aircraft. Now, he admittedly hasn't driven past our nearby Cessna Citation sales/service hangar every day for decades like I have, but it certainly looks like a Citation X inbound to Teterboro Airport in NJ to my untrained/failing old eyes. I'll defer to our resident plane spotters for their opinion:






.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

I saw a video posted by a political/conspiracy theory podcaster (hence not posting the link) on another forum about these drone sightings, showing some media/online video clips of these "drones" over NJ.

This one made me crack up laughing, because the podcaster said that it looked like a next-gen military aircraft. Now, he admittedly hasn't driven past our nearby Cessna Citation sales/service hangar every day for decades like I have, but it certainly looks like a Citation X inbound to Teterboro Airport in NJ to my untrained/failing old eyes. I'll defer to our resident plane spotters for their opinion:

Attachment 3620786

Attachment 3620787


.

I don't know anything about different plane models (although I did take flying lessons for a while) however I wouldn't even look twice at that pic. It's obviously a plane... thus not a UFO.

[Maynard]

That's just what THEY want you to believe. Don't be fooled.

[vreihen16]

A drone incident apparently shut down our nearby international airport on Friday evening:

https://midhudsonnews.com/2024/12/15...ewart-airport/


.

[ASAP]

100% sure these are our drones... likely testing a new tech that no one wants to speak about... why in such a populated area is beyond me?

if these are some pranksters... then i am really worried about the capabilities of our local govts and the FAA lol

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

I don't know anything about different plane models (although I did take flying lessons for a while) however I wouldn't even look twice at that pic. It's obviously a plane... thus not a UFO.

Been reading news stories and posts by pilots who fly in the areas where the drones are "spotted" and they report no drones sighted. Just lots of aircraft. Fixed wing and rotor type.

[vreihen16]

Originally Posted by RockCrusher

Been reading news stories and posts by pilots who fly in the areas where the drones are "spotted" and they report no drones sighted. Just lots of aircraft. Fixed wing and rotor type.

I think that the hysteria is making people go outside after dark and look up for the first time. Add on the desire to "go viral" for posting a video of anything that moves with light on it for the social media attention, and the result is lots of airplane videos.....

[DrVenture]

Originally Posted by ASAP

100% sure these are our drones... likely testing a new tech that no one wants to speak about... why in such a populated area is beyond me?

if these are some pranksters... then i am really worried about the capabilities of our local govts and the FAA lol

https://abcnews.go.com/US/2-men-arre...y?id=116812491

Takes time and resources. But, the message is now being sent that you might get caught and charged.

[DrVenture]

Originally Posted by vreihen16

I think that the hysteria is making people go outside after dark and look up for the first time. Add on the desire to "go viral" for posting a video of anything that moves with light on it for the social media attention, and the result is lots of airplane videos.....

I consider that an astute observation.