Drone sightings spark curiosity, concern in South-Central Pennsylvania

by

Drone sightings spark curiosity, concern in South-Central Pennsylvania

YEAH. LISTEN, A LOT OF VIEWERS ARE WONDERING IF WHEN THEY LOOK UP IN THE SKY, IF THEY’RE SEEING A DRONE OR IF THEY’RE SEEING IT, POTENTIALLY A PLANE. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS PEOPLE HAVE A LOT OF ANXIETY ABOUT THIS. A LOT OF THE VIEWERS HAVE BEEN TELLING US THAT THEY’VE BEEN SEEING WHAT THEY THINK ARE AIRCRAFT, POTENTIALLY DRONES, LARGER THAN THE KIND OF COMMERCIAL DRONES THAT YOU SEE. THIS IS MY DRONE, ACTUALLY. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF RULES AND REGULATIONS OVER WHO CAN FLY THESE, WHEN THEY CAN FLY THEM AND WHERE THEY CAN FLY THEM. THIS ONE HAS THAT STROBE LIGHT, FOR INSTANCE, ON TOP TO MAKE SURE THAT IT DOESN’T COLLIDE INTO ANY OTHER AIRCRAFT THAT DON’T SEE IT. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THEY’RE WONDERING EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THEY’RE LOOKING AT. WHEN THEY LOOK UP IN THE SKY, LIGHTS IN THE SKY ABOVE. DILLSBURG YOU’RE SEEING THAT, RIGHT? IT’S ONE OF MANY RECENT REPORTS OF LIGHTS IN THE SKY ABOVE THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY WE’VE HEARD ABOUT IN RECENT DAYS, SO YOU CAN’T SEE ANYTHING RELATIVE TO WHAT YOU’RE ACTUALLY THE LIGHTS. YOU’RE SEEING. IT COULD APPEAR TO BE MUCH BIGGER OR SMALLER THAN IT ACTUALLY IS. ALBERT SARVIS, WITH HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY IS A CERTIFIED DRONE PILOT AND SAYS MANY LEGITIMATE DRONE OPERATIONS OCCUR AT ALL TIMES OF DAY. BUT THE NIGHTTIME SIGHTINGS IN NEW JERSEY STRAY FROM WHAT’S RECOMMENDED OR LEGAL. ALL DRONES CAN BE PREPROGRAMED TO FLY IN A SET PATTERN OR BE FLOWN MANUALLY, BUT SOME OF THE FACTS THAT THEY TURN THEIR LIGHTS OFF, THEY FLY RELATIVELY FAST. IT CALLS INTO QUESTION EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF DRONE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT, AND IF IT INDEED IS A DRONE. FOR NOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING INTO THE MATTER. RIGHT NOW, THERE’S JUST NO INDICATION THAT THIS IS SOME SORT OF FOREIGN MALIGN ACTIVITY, OR IN FACT, EVEN CRIMINAL, SARVIS SAYS. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WHAT YOU SEE IN THE SKY MIGHT JUST BE AN AIRPLANE OR HELICOPTER, OR IT COULD BE A DRONE LEGALLY FLYING IN THE AIR. BUT HE CAN UNDERSTAND THE ANXIETY. SURELY, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH MORE USES, PEOPLE GET MORE ACCUSTOMED TO THEM. BUT AT THIS POINT, THIS KIND OF ACTIVITY IS BIZARRE. SERVICE, BY THE WAY, POINTED OUT TO ME, FOR INSTANCE, IN YORK COUNTY THERE ARE DRONES USED FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES, AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO ARE HOBBYISTS, FOR INSTANCE, AND JUST WANT TO TAKE PHOTOS. STATE POLICE TOLD ME, BY THE WAY, THAT THEY GOT REPORTS IN SOUTHEASTERN PA OF FOUR POTENTIALLY SUSPICIOUS DRONE SIGHTINGS. BUT AT THIS POINT, THEY DON’T SEE ANY PUBLIC SAFETY THREAT THERE. CONTINUING TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES ABOUT THE MATTER IN

Drone sightings spark curiosity, concern in South-Central Pennsylvania

In light of recent reports of potentially suspicious drone sightings in New Jersey, many WGAL viewers in the Susquehanna Valley have been asking, “What are those lights in the sky?”The answer isn’t clear in every case, though Pennsylvania State Police said on Friday morning that they had received roughly four reports of potentially suspicious drones in southeastern Pennsylvania, though there was no believed threat to public safety. The agency was keeping in touch with federal law enforcement regarding the matter.Viewers have sent in dozens of pictures and video of what appear to be aircraft or drones flying at night with one particular case involving dash camera video that shows what appear to be either drones or aircraft flying above a highway in Dillsburg.The FBI also released a statement this week saying they haven’t been able to corroborate most sightings in New Jersey, and many of those incidents may involve manned aircraft mistaken for drones. Albert Sarvis, an associate professor for geospatial technology at Harrisburg University who uses drones in his work, said many people may be mistaking drones for planes simply because of the darkness.”You can’t see anything relative to whatever lights you’re seeing in the sky, and what it is you’re looking at might be bigger or smaller than it actually is,” he said.Sarvis also said that drones themselves are used very frequently for legitimate or legal flights at night and that unmanned aerial devices are used in York County and other parts of the Susquehanna Valley for agricultural and other professional uses.However, the flights in New Jersey that initially sparked concern and scrutiny took place near military facilities and other sensitive areas and had telltale signs that they may not have been legal.”All drones can be programmed to fly in patterns or fly manually. These ones fly with their lights turned off, they fly very fast, it calls into question what kind of drones these are and if they are even drones at all,” he said.

HARRISBURG, Pa. —

In light of recent reports of potentially suspicious drone sightings in New Jersey, many WGAL viewers in the Susquehanna Valley have been asking, “What are those lights in the sky?”

The answer isn’t clear in every case, though Pennsylvania State Police said on Friday morning that they had received roughly four reports of potentially suspicious drones in southeastern Pennsylvania, though there was no believed threat to public safety. The agency was keeping in touch with federal law enforcement regarding the matter.

Viewers have sent in dozens of pictures and video of what appear to be aircraft or drones flying at night with one particular case involving dash camera video that shows what appear to be either drones or aircraft flying above a highway in Dillsburg.

The FBI also released a statement this week saying they haven’t been able to corroborate most sightings in New Jersey, and many of those incidents may involve manned aircraft mistaken for drones.

Albert Sarvis, an associate professor for geospatial technology at Harrisburg University who uses drones in his work, said many people may be mistaking drones for planes simply because of the darkness.

“You can’t see anything relative to whatever lights you’re seeing in the sky, and what it is you’re looking at might be bigger or smaller than it actually is,” he said.

Sarvis also said that drones themselves are used very frequently for legitimate or legal flights at night and that unmanned aerial devices are used in York County and other parts of the Susquehanna Valley for agricultural and other professional uses.

However, the flights in New Jersey that initially sparked concern and scrutiny took place near military facilities and other sensitive areas and had telltale signs that they may not have been legal.

“All drones can be programmed to fly in patterns or fly manually. These ones fly with their lights turned off, they fly very fast, it calls into question what kind of drones these are and if they are even drones at all,” he said.

Source link