Drone operators worry that anxiety over mystery sightings will lead to new restrictions
The popularity of drones has exploded in recent years, as small unmanned aircraft have become cheap enough for many hobbyists to buy
Drones for commercial and recreational use have grown rapidly in popularity, despite restrictions on who can operate them and where they can be flown.
No-fly zones are enforced around airports, military installations, nuclear plants, certain landmarks including the Statue of Liberty, and sports stadiums during games.
Not everybody follows the rules. Sightings at airports have shut down flights in a few instances.
Reported sightings of what appear to be drones flying over New Jersey at night in recent weeks have created anxiety among some residents, in part because it is not clear who is operating them or why. Some state and local officials have called for stricter rules to govern drones.
After receiving reports of drone activity last month near Morris County, New Jersey, the Federal Aviation Administration issued temporary bans on drone flights over a golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, that is owned by President-elect Donald Trump, and over Picatinny Arsenal Military Base. The FAA says the bans are in response to requests from “federal security partners.”
The FAA is responsible for the regulations governing their use, and Congress has written some requirements into law.
With a 2018 law, the Preventing Emerging Threats Act, Congress gave certain agencies in the Homeland Security and Justice departments authority to counter threats from unmanned aircraft to protect the safety of certain facilities.
New drones must be outfitted with equipment allowing law enforcement to identify the operator, and Congress gave the agencies the power to detect and take down unmanned aircraft that they
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