Lately, drones have been elevated to the highest level of national security threat as the perceived and perhaps unfounded emergency for what seems to be a mysterious and unidentified drone operation that is happening in the skies of New Jersey.
From the get-go, I thought it was a bunch of baloney. Neil DeGrasse said it best when during an interview at CNN about the drone sightings he said, "This may be the new normal".
I agree with him. I also think that it is a direct consequence of the raised awareness of the "drone invasion" that now is happening "everywhere", UFO reports have increased over 200%!!
Lessons learned.
There is a total lack of detection technology availability and/or an absence of implementation to identify drones that are operating in our skies. It was obvious because law enforcement was unable to identify them. and keep conspiracies to a minimum.
People have no clue about the laws and regulations that apply to operating drones and the limitations that exist when confronting a drone situation.
There are no bonafide mechanisms to verify whether a drone operation is legit unless you physically capture the drone and read its FAA registration number label when available. Only the FBI can intervene with a flying drone.
As a drone operator myself, I feel empowered by my Part 107 FAA Certification; it makes me legal and in compliance in the event a legal challenge is presented by a private citizen or law enforcement.
Becoming a certified UAS Operator is imperative before the FAA starts limiting the number of licenses that are granted every year.
A closer look is needed into the rules and regulations that apply to drone manufacturers and operators.
The drone market is well and alive, the latest events and popularity will elevate awareness of the technology and how easily accessible it is to anyone who wants to own a drone and become a UAS Operator. At this time there are some limitations on who can own and operate a drone. However, the time is near when more laws will be emerging; like a required drone registration at the time of purchase. If I was thinking about getting a drone, now would be the time.
Thanks for reading. If you know of a drone job opportunity, post it here for our vetted UAS Pilots to see and reach out.