12-16-2024
Drones Gone Wild
This reminds me of a really bad movie plot that could be called “The Attack of the Drones”. Americans are panicking big time, like the “Clown Scare” of a few years back – remember?
Folks are seeing flashing lights in the nighttime sky and wondering what they are, so they call the news, the police, local military sources and even the White House to find out what is happening. People are wondering if it’s an attack on our nation’s homeland, military style training or law enforcement action.
The answers from a DOD spokesperson really lack substance – “It’s not anything concerning public safety or national security and no there isn’t an Iranian “mother ship” just off the eastern coast of New Jersey sending drone swarms to spy on us”. When asked why the DOD isn’t doing anything to shoot them down, the answer given floored me, “We haven’t been asked:.
Another unofficial response was that only 5 government agencies are “authorized” to use lethal force on aircraft and if a citizen takes things into their own hands they could end up in jail.
Some officials doubt the validity of these drone sightings that are occurring nightly and when a New Jersey State Police helicopter spotted one hovering below, it simply turned off its lights and skedaddled away like a speeding car from a police radar trap.
White House and DOD spokespersons have no problem telling us they have no idea what they are, where they originated but rest assured they pose no public threat.
During a press conference when President Trump was asked about the drones, his answer made the most sense of anything I’ve heard so far – “Our government knows what they are, where they come from but for unknown reasons they just don’t want to tell the public.”
I venture to say that maybe it’s because there is no adult supervision in the White House or elsewhere to tell the appropriate agencies to take a look and report to the American people what they find?
Granted anyone can go down to their local hobby shop, a big box or specialty store or go online to purchase a drone for a fairly reasonable price and fly them all over the place, but drones the size of a small car or SUV (as some have reported) might just cost a bit more.
I’ve seen a number of videos, pictures and assessments of whether these are drones or aircraft and one thing I know for sure is that the FCC requires all aircraft to use transponders that tell the type of aircraft and air traffic controllers at each major airport can “see” on their radar screens aircraft in the vicinity of air traffic patterns. The FCC also requires specific operating lights on the tips of each wing and landing lights for incoming and outbound air traffic. If there were wayward drones in or around the airspace or certain military bases there is no way they could go undetected for long.
What we don’t need is a bunch of video game expert sharpshooters or snipers aiming howitzers, cannons, or machine guns at things flying around in the night time sky, because what goes up must come down, includes ammunition (bullets).
I have no doubt that on or after January 20th there will suddenly be “full disclosure” of these drone sightings and then the nations of the world will cease their laughing at us crazy Americans who are scared at their own shadows.
So everyone please take a chill pill. – RTM
The Real Truckmaster 