# Drones over New Jersey **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 6, 2024, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243 "2024-12-06T04:05:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/141 "2024-12-16T00:42:51Z")
Yet another thing to fuel idiotic conversations with my in-laws. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/142 "2024-12-16T03:07:28Z")
This commentator makes as much sense as anyone. (Contains profanity.) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/h5Wowlf_gEo/hqdefault.jpg "Drones in New Jersey Are Weird") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5Wowlf_gEo&t=324s/) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/143 "2024-12-16T20:44:57Z")
Trump is asked if he has been given a security breifing on the drones and says “I don’t wanna comment.” That obviously means “yes”. Seems pretty out of character for him not to spill the beans anyway. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/4o6x7Hpe6gE/maxresdefault.jpg "Trump on drones: ‘Government knows what is happening’ | NewsNation Live") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o6x7Hpe6gE) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/144 "2024-12-16T20:59:38Z")
I think it’s expected for the president-elect to get security briefings. I think even prior to the election, the two major party candidates get them. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/145 "2024-12-16T21:03:55Z")
But it’s unexpected for Trump not to blab. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/146 "2024-12-16T21:09:09Z")
Maybe there’s nothing to blab about… ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/147 "2024-12-16T21:09:44Z")
It is, however, expected for trump to obfuscate, vacillate, titillate, and scintillate to get people to talk about him. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/148 "2024-12-16T22:14:11Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Maybe there’s nothing to blab about… He’s cancelling his planned trip to Bedminster. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/149 "2024-12-16T22:15:02Z")
[Military pilot injured during rash of laser pointings at planes in N.J. sky - nj.com](https://www.nj.com/burlington/2024/12/military-pilot-injured-during-rash-of-laser-pointings-at-planes-in-nj-sky.html) People thoroughly engaged in stupidity with lasers. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2024, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/150 "2024-12-16T23:01:19Z")
> [@Nars\_Glinley](#): > > But it’s unexpected for Trump not to blab. It’s even more unusual for Trump to pay attention. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/151 "2024-12-17T03:13:01Z")
Drones as big as cars certainly do exist. Easy enough to google “big military drones” and see zillions of pictures. A plausible-sounding theory is that various secretive government agencies are desperately searching for something in New Jersey… something they lost, or something that bad actors smuggled in. But they aren’t commenting about it due to the secrecy of what they are looking for, and the secrecy of the tech they are using. More or less plausible than just “lots and lots of sober sounding people are reporting lots and lots of mysterious-sounding stuff and it’s all just mass hysteria”? Hard to say. Certainly I would have thought that the government would be quick to clearly say “we see no evidence of anything going on at all, these sightings are all completely spurious”, which as far as I know no one has. (Although frankly, I’m probably a bit more likely to believe something implausible than I normally would be, due to… gestures broadly…) ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/152 "2024-12-17T05:52:46Z")
[John Kirby, the spokesperson for the National Security Council](https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-adviser-says-government-has-solved-drone-mystery/), weighs in: > After days and days now of forensics work analysis, detection work and looking at the tips that came in, our assessment is that these drones represent lawful, legal, commercial, hobbyist drones—even law enforcement drones. Joint statement from the DHS, FBI, FAA and DoD: > Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. So some drones are Venus, some drones are fixed wing aircraft, and a few of the drones are drones. Kevin Drum points out that the great state of New Jersey is a) densely populated and b) has unusually permissive drone policy. New York’s policy is tighter, so a number of NY drone outfits operate in NJ. > According to the Mercatus Center, New Jersey is the third most drone friendly state out of the ten highest density states. > **[New Jersey’s drone mystery solved by statistics! - Kevin Drum](https://jabberwocking.com/new-jerseys-drone-mystery-solved-by-statistics/)** > > As I was poking around to learn more about our East Coast drone invasion, one question kept popping into my head: Why New Jersey? I may have found the answer: New Jersey is a Drone Industry Trend Setter The state’s drone task force avidly promotes... ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/153 "2024-12-17T10:03:50Z")
On a related note, when I was a teenager, ca. 1980, we were watching a TV show about UFOs, and the voiceover talked about weather balloons while this video played. My dad said, “That’s not a weather balloon” and he was right; it was a meteor that was probably about the size of a car that passed through the atmosphere at about 40 miles above the earth. Had it struck, we could have had another Tunguska event. > **[Grand Teton Meteor Near Miss!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcsJ6e8S5lA%2F)** > > Taken in 1972, this video just gives me chills of awe and downright fear of the unknown numbers of meteors out there.It has been estimated that this one was ... ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/154 "2024-12-17T11:55:47Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > More or less plausible than just “lots and lots of sober sounding people are reporting lots and lots of mysterious-sounding stuff and it’s all just mass hysteria”? Hard to say. Every picture or video I’ve seen posted on Next Door in NJ has been such an obvious airplane that I wonder if these people are from 125 years ago and are just now getting used to the idea of airplanes in the sky. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/155 "2024-12-17T14:55:41Z")
Nope. Just now learning to look up from staring at their shoes and/or their phones. Of course the trigger for them to look up came from a social media post on their phone. 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/156 "2024-12-17T21:09:29Z")
Drones reportedly have been buzzing Wright-Patterson AFB, which temporarily closed their airspace yesterday. > **[Drones spotted flying near Wright-Patterson again](https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/just-in-theyre-back-more-drones-are-flying-over-wright-patt/QUQNXODH6BBBLGWMVJHM7MWYYE/)** > > The drones are back: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base reports the return of drones late Monday and early Tuesday ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/157 "2024-12-17T23:00:54Z")
The below is from a different article linked inside your article from a few days ago (_I think your article confirms a drone sighting recently but no AFB shutdown, and a few days ago a drone actually led to a shutdown of the AFB_). Anyways, this is what I’d take away from all of it: > “We have had confirmed sightings at Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle,” the spokesperson said. “ **This is not a new issue for us. We’ve had to deal with drone incursions over our bases for quite a time now.** It’s something that we routinely respond to in each and every case when reporting is cited.” While those two places are not the AFB, it’s the same principal. These AFBs, Arsenals, Naval Stations, whatever, are located next to non-military populated areas. Drones are very popular and people legally fly drones. The military deals with drones that fly where they should not be. It’s made clear nothing nefarious is occurring other than drones flying too close. Unless I’m missing something. I tried to ignore this as long as I could. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/158 "2024-12-18T00:39:38Z")
Welcome to 'Murrika. The stupid, it burns. And is highly profitable for certain propagandists. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/159 "2024-12-18T03:19:16Z")
Yeah, like this. It was Venus. Another was the belt of Orion. > **[ABC WARNS AMERICA about dangerous...planet...in the sky](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUM0BFWq1r0%2F)** > > 👩‍🎓 The 431 Exchange: Help us reach our goal by donating at https://431exchange.org/pakman-- An ABC news affiliate is the latest to promote "things in the ... ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2024, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243/160 "2024-12-18T04:18:19Z")
When are the Chinese balloons going to step back into the picture? Drones and balloons and ufos, oh my! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drones-over-new-jersey/1011243.md?page=9)