Unidentified Drones

I’m was going to start a conversation on this, I’m glad you did.

a couple of things here

the issue I have, is the FAA protects these drones because they treat drones as on the same level as other aircraft. Because of this you can’t shoot them down.

1.) But not really, how I understand, other aircraft needs to file a flight plan, where drones do not. And if not, Drones should need to file a flight plan. And this can be setup to do it on a website.

also, some of these drones are huge, we use drones to spread seed fertilizers or pesticides/herbicides on crop land. And these drones are over 6 feet in diameter.

the flight plan can accommodate this with check offs.

2.) even though the FAA requires flying these drones the operator/pilot needs to be line of sight of the drone.

now the strange thing is, all the officials say there is not a threat, but can’t answer who is flying these. How do they know it’s not a threat, when they call a meeting to discuss this, and the one that calls the meeting doesn’t show up, or can’t answer any questions. What a clown show.

thirdly, and agree with your last summary… there are a number of drones flying about strategic locations but are not restricted airspace, this has been on the news, how come no one steps up and says, one of the drones are theirs to try to clear this up.

If you are going to fly a drone illegally, you will not file a flight plan. This has occurred over munitions storage facilities and other military property. I still say BS on all of the: "We don't know...bla bla bla."

It is easy to tell a stray private plane from a drone. If it will not identify when queried, put it down, forcefully if necessary.

Someone high up on the food chain knows what is going on, and they are treating the dumbed down public like mushrooms:

"Keep 'em in the dark and feed them Bull sh*t.

I ain't no mushroom.

it'"

So, you need to file a flight plan, is that correct.

yes, they are fly8ng over key bridges, water supply’s and as far a over munitions, is that restricted air space?,… I heard so far that it was near, but not over restricted areas.

yes, the drones of this type should have an identifying signal. Which I’m sure will in the near future, as soon as the new FAA leaders are put into place.

I know the current one doesn’t know his $#it. Which explains a lot and is typical what has been going on

Just a note from a private pilot.

Not all aircraft flights require filing a formal flight plan with the FAA. All IFR (instrument flight rules) flights and flights over 30k feet (if I remember correctly) do require a flight plan.

VFR (visual flight rule) flights do not require filing a flight plan. A large number of general aviation aircraft fly VFR. A pilot can, however, request to have "flight following" if his aircraft has the right equipment. This means the FAA would track his progress and know if something goes wrong. And, if a licensed IFR pilot on a VFR flight plan runs into trouble he can request an in-flight filing of an IFR flight plan. This would allow him to fly into weather a VFR only pilot is not allowed to.

That said, the majority of non-military drone flights will never fly in IFR conditions and will never have a need to file a flight plan. Pilots flying drones commercially (money making) would avoid that hassle. But, under certain flight conditions they do have to log into an FAA established online system to detail their intentions. Since these are usually limited area flights (like real estate views of property) it isn't very complicated.

In addition, the majority of the people who fly these drones are not pilots and have not had the extensive training a small aircraft pilot like me has had. They have little requirement to learn the extensive topics a licensed pilot is required to know.

Just some observations from a private pilot who flies radio control aircraft and hobby level drones (under .55 lbs). Over .55 lbs requires the drone to be registered with the FAA and imprint a registration number on the drone.

Thanks Hooker,

.

What is interesting, is if this is private operated drones and as much exposure this has gotten not one operator of these drones stepped up and said anything.

You're welcome.

"Private operated" is I suppose a squishy terminology. I'm of the mind that the operators of these drones are flown by domestic troublemakers, foreign troublemakers, or military/CIA/NSA.

From the descriptions of them that I've heard I don't think they're commercial, meaning registered, drones. And they probably turn their navigation lights off when they're approached by the other aircraft because the operator can hit a "home" button to automatically bring the drone back to its launch, or other predetermined, point. The operator doesn't need to see it or through its cameras to bring it home. Even my little hobby drone can do that.

For that matter the operator doesn't even need to fly it at all. They can load them up with a predetermined flight path following waypoints for the entire flight if they choose.

If one of these drones buzzed the White House it would be immediately destroyed, no questions asked. They have multiple defenses on the roof, such as laser, directed EMP beams, and conventional advanced weaponry. Sonar can also be used to detect characteristic prop signatures, which is not advertised.

As I said their explanations will not play in Peoria.

Destroyed? Are you sure about that?

with the DEI infiltration of the government. Remember, the tools available is only as good as the person who knows (competent enough) how to use it. Heck some DEI hires can’t even holster their hand guns…

These sound like surveillance drones, probably looking for intruders encroaching on the 'sensitive areas'...and being operated by the occupants of these areas within line-of-sight...so they probably won't publicly acknowledge that info...

If so, why not just say so instead of playing dumb...well maybe they are not playing..

Maybe they’re not playing dumb… just can’t help it.

A drone with a camera is a surveillance system...

Until you activate a weapon system that may be installed. And that may be just a box of anthrax spores or other chemical/biological/nuclear weapon system.

And no one with ill intent is going to abide by FAA rules. I've studied the rules for hobby and commercial drones. They are onerous for honest people.

Hell, I can't even legally fly my hobby drone in my backyard without notifying the FAA with their online drone flight request reporting system. That's because I'm barely on the inside of the Shenandoah Regional Airport control zone. If I move about 100 yards east I'm outside the zone and can do just about anything I want as long as I stay below 400' AGL (above ground level). And that airport doesn't even man the tower except under extraordinary conditions.

The thought crossed my mind that it is a campaign to stir up fear with the objective to get public support to outlaw any drone flying. Or maybe I'm just being paranoid.

The Biden admin is forcing us all to be paranoid and toss out outlandish theories. I'm becoming more and more convinced that the drones are part of some federal operation. Whether it's to stir up opposition to drones or maybe for some legitimate security reason is yet to be known. But in typical fashion this administration is totally mishandling public concerns. IMO, of course. Meanwhile, trust in the fed gov't plummets to even lower levels. I didn't think that was possible.

As far as mishandling public concerns, its a distraction from the real problems incompetence creates.

Vehicle Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE)

Smart Shooter, an Israel-based company, won a contract from the U.S. Army to supply their Smash 2000L optics for small arms and rifles for the counter-UAS program. This system allows users to precisely and accurately target small drones by using artificial intelligence, assisted vision, and advanced algorithms.

The optics weigh around 1.5 pounds, less than half the previous model’s weight. Additionally, Smart Shooter will enhance it to provide up to eight times magnification for the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate, which serves the U.S. Department of Defense and interagency customers.

https://potomacofficersclub.com/articles/10-anti-drone-weapons-us-military/

That is great, but if you really want to make a lot of money, make one that will shoot down mosquitoes that is cheap and effective.

Use that as a test bed to develop it for larger objects.

Just don't get caught!

https://www.maverickdrone.com/products/skynet-drone-defense-3-pack

Like so many stories in the news... rarely is enough info presented to the public to create a valid opinion or suggest a reasonable solution.

However, I do know ... if a person has a reasonable level of knowledge of the technology involved (drones, electronics, etc..), it wouldn't be very hard to produce the reported sightings/incidents.

Most RC modelers / electronics engineers/techs could do it. Not really that hard. Heck, a modest sized drone outfitted with out-rigged support for LEDs (creating the illusion of a much larger craft) in the night sky would likely do the trick. I know of people that use off the shelf drones - over 5 miles from the operator.. (yea, very illegal and they were clueless of the law - using an older drone without newer features)

Thank goodness most of creative people have no desire to frighten or freak out the general public.

Use EMP to disable? really? Too many movies with bad science out there. Lazy screen writing. Making the public believe this type of option is really available or viable.

COTS drones , radios, can be disabled/screwed with.. however, if one doesn't care about the Law, there are ways to make more robust drones.

They can use a sweeping frequency of high power to scramble the instructions of the drone.

Maybe they're "AI Powered" and don't need instructions. Right now they're just scouting out a location for a drone factory. Once they've got sufficient numbers, it will be bad for carbon based life forms...

A drone made from balsa wood, charred bamboo and fiberglass would be nearly invisible to radar, but there are other ways to track them. If it was built for a kamikaze attack it would not matter if they went undetected for a while, just long enough to accomplish their mission, whatever that was.

Imagine a crowd at a speech by a political opponent. If a dumb old country Rednek can think of this, I am sure there are many smarter and more sophisticated entities that have already explored this.

Let me be clear: I have no ill intent to harm anyone, I am just listing the obvious and commonly available methods using OTS components.

Please do not misinterpret otherwise.

I fear someone will do this, and I will be on a watchlist because I mentioned it.

https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/12/918/516/12.13.25.png?ve=1&tl=1

Coming in a bit late, with limited info, as I've not really been following it. But there is a big difference between "could" and "can" and "should". Yes, you "could" scramble frequencies, in the sense that the tech exists. But unless you have the correct tech deployed and manned at the exact time and place, you "can"not do it. As to the "should", that is usually based on risk analysis, it is usually not for free and your tax dollars are hopefully managed carefully. Remember how they struggled 5 years ago (!) when Gatwick was targeted by rogue drone operators that caused the airport to come to a standstill? But yes, there is better tech available now, and some airports are deploying it. (EMP - that is a bit of a blunt instrument, you'll typically take out too much other stuff.)

From what I gather, the whole country is not covered in anti-drone technology. If it was, the nation would probably complain about that as well!

You can't please everyone, so you might as well do what is necessary.

So this vulnerability has been talked about a lot. I used to work for a military service and was talking to them about this a few years back. They were concerned about drones flying over their space and hovering over ships. They had no idea what to do and were flummoxed as technically they cannot shoot or disable it as it was the FAA jurisdiction which I find hilarious. A military service cannot or wont protect itself from an obvious threat. We have had civilian planes almost shot down with full authority to do so but have to let a flying toy (or bomb, intelligence gatherer, etc.) just linger and do whatever.

Of course laying out a bunch of bullets into the air with most missing target has its own issues. A better drone threat elimination process is needed. One could easily send up your drones to trap/ram/etc. to drop the offending drones if it doesnt avoid your actions. You could easily follow the drone back to its owner unless they abandon it or destruct it. This whole thing needs a normal person to inject some common sense into it before we see Ukraine levels of drone usage on victims. That will happen if we don't figure this quick.

Well you only need to look at how difficult it is for the Russians to deal with Ukrainian drones to understand that drones are almost impossible to track and destroy, the smaller ones that is. What with the cardboard ones now in use would not produce a radar footprint so good luck tracking or even seeing them. Also consider drones can be small, made of plastic and irregular in shape then it becomes even more difficult.

Radio interference may effect them but at what frequency and how can it be interfered without causing problems for bonified frequency users. The world military have been handed a real problem with Ukrainian drones abilities.

That's why the nonchalance of our political leaders really tics me off. A whole lot of people may get hurt or die in an unopposed, coordinated drone attack in a matter of minutes.

I've watched too many Ukrainian drone attack videos not to be extremely worried. I hope these drone flights are just someone trying to wake us up to what could be.

Its too bad the government integrity was so abused that one can't trust it...

But this may be the reason.

The Drones Could Be Trying to Find 'Radioactive Material'—Aerospace CEO or something of that nature... A spike in these areas of been recorded???

And the government is of course mishandling the situation for fear of panic, but what has been experience from this administration is fear of exposing incompetence.

Is it our drones or is it a foreign entity.

A lot of energy is being expelled on this subject. A great example of a ship with no tiller or captain for that matter.

All battery powered drones have a limited range ,but suppose your drone could carry multiple battery packs and switch them on when they are needed. When one pack gets low, drop it off, after switching to the next pack in line, and so on and so on you could dramatically increase the range.

The larger drones that are used for agriculture has a fairly good sized payload ability…

and from some of the feed back, these drones are a good size.

Here's a pic that really gives you an idea of the size of these ag/industrial drones. Not exactly something someone would buy to play around at home.

Hey hooker, here’s a video my nephew uses on his farm… he contracts with local distillery’s and micro breweries for suppling heirloom grains. He uses it for top dressing to see if it’s worth it.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0A2vW6VxSeJdZxVUChEfYWKitWmJ81VmeMV1aAY3P64kxWaHwipF2Wsth5h5Aqvmjl&id=100055437077469

and

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02Azwt1FEfTyqfHYtmtnbNAWzgP5ezHYnJWD4orKkog4b6GLxtX9GftmeNv9rugNQUl&id=1614745740

Wow, Phoenix, these guys are even bigger than I imagined. And, being conservative, at 6 lbs/gallon with what looks like at least a 10 gallon tank gives them an over 600 lb payload. A lot of bad stuff could be packed into one of those bad boys. I've seen tons of craters made by 500 lb bombs and it ain't pretty.

I have watched magicians and they perform their "magic" by distracting attention away from the real action .This is very similar to the drone situation in my opinion.

The prestidigitation of our government at work.