Huge Drones Spotted Over Northport, Greenlawn
By Rupert Deedes
North shore residents are reporting a huge increase in drone activity - especially at night - when mysterious drones crisscross the night sky, and flocks of drones gather - and then hover over a particular house or building - and then zoom away. Northport and East Northport have been hotbeds of drone sightings on Long Island - but nothing like the hundreds of drone sitings in New Jersey.
"Large drone, and not something else," reported Melinda Valdati of Greenlawn on the NextDoor app. "Stationary in the air, but why hovering in one spot?"
An East Northport resident reported large groups of drones zooming back and forth over his house.
Some of the drones have been the size of cars, with one New Jersey Sheriff sending up his own commercial-grade drone to follow and track the huge mysterious drones - only for the drones to quickly lose his drone in the dark.
Governor Kathy Hochul was forced to close Stewart Airport in Westchester, as drones were spotted in restricted airspace.
US Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) accused the Pentagon of “hiding the truth” about the drones, which, he claimed, were coming from an Iranian spy “mothership.” At least until all three of Iran's Spy Motherships were located still in the Persian Gulf.
Drone panic has arrived.
Some cynics declare that it is just like New Jersey in 1938, when Orson Welles scared the nation half to death with the radio drama “The War of the Worlds,” which took place in the Garden State.
After WWII, the focus of unexplained and unsettling phenomena moved West where, in the 1950s, Nebraska, Nevada, and California led the nation in UFO sightings by people scanning the sky for signs of extraterrestrial life.
FBI agent Fox Mulder, in the TV show “The X-Files,” epitomized their type with his basement office poster declaring: “I want to believe.”
But in recent weeks, there has been many reports of mysterious drone sightings across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and other states. These sightings have sparked concern among residents and local officials, concerns which have not been alleyed by the responses of the FBI, DHS, the Pentagon, and the NSC.
Here are the key points related to the sighting of drones in the US Northeast:
Size and Behavior: Many of the drones reported are described as larger than typical consumer drones—some even likened to the size of SUVs. Some of the drones have been reported to display triangular light patterns. Some of the sightings report groups of up to eight drones hovering or moving in formation.They often fly in coordinated patterns, especially when hovering over sensitive infrastructure such as reservoirs and power lines, and sometimes operate with their lights off. These drones can fly in challenging weather and remain airborne for hours, which suggests advanced technology beyond hobbyist use.
Impact on Safety: Some drones have disrupted emergency operations. For example, a medevac helicopter in Branchburg, New Jersey, was reportedly delayed from transporting a critically injured patient due to the presence of drones in the area.
Government Responses: Local and state officials have demanded greater transparency and federal action. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, and lawmakers from New York and New Jersey, have urged federal agencies like the FAA and DHS to investigate.
The Biden FBI and DHS claim that none of the sightings have been verified to have been drones at all. But critics - from President-elect Donald Trump to the New York Post - dismiss the Biden government flacks as habitual liars.
“We are supporting local law enforcement in New Jersey with numerous detection methods but have not corroborated any of the reported visual sightings with electronic detection,” US authorities said in a statement. “To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space.”
Speculation and Theories: There are several theories or speculations about the phenomenon. Some theories suggest hobbyist activity, misidentifications, or even corporate operations, but these explanations remain unverified.
Some express concerns about foreign involvement.
The Pentagon dismissed Congressman Van Drew’s claim. “There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States," said Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh.
Former Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), who flew surveillance planes over Iraq, suggested that the drone sightings may be coming from just one private company that is testing its own experimental drones, possibly without breaking any laws.
“Each of these drones have a green light on the right, a red light on the left, and a strobe light, which is required by the FAA at night. So either the aliens and Iranians are complying with FAA law or it's something else,” stated Kinzinger. "You're allowed to fly over military bases and sensitive national security areas. In fact, small planes and pilots do this all the time and there's no restriction on it."
Other experts cite the recent loss of a significant amount of nuclear material from a New Jersey shipping crate, and theorize that the drones might be government drones scanning New Jersey and New York for a nuclear radiation signature
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken the New Jersey drone sightings seriously enough to impose temporary bans on all drone flights over the Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course owned by President-elect Donald Trump and over the Picatinny Arsenal, an Army research and development facility about 35 miles west of New York City.
Calls for Action: Lawmakers are pushing for stronger regulations on drones, including enhanced tracking technologies and stricter penalties for misuse. Some have even suggested grounding all drones temporarily or involving the military to address potential risks.