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United States News

Unexplained Drones Are Swarming by Night Over Colorado (nytimes.com) 165

Posted by msmash from the stranger-things dept.
They come in the night: Drones -- lots of them -- flying in precise formations over the Colorado and Nebraska prairie. Whose are they? Unknown. Why are they there? Unclear. From a report: "It's creepy," said Missy Blackman, who saw three drones hovering over her farm outside Palisade, Neb., on a recent evening, including one that lingered right above her house. "I have a lot of questions of why and what are they, and nobody seems to have any answers." Since before Christmas, sheriff's departments in the region have been bombarded with reports of large drones with blinking lights and wingspans of up to 6 feet flying over rural towns and open fields. The drones have unnerved residents, prompted a federal investigation and made international news, even though they may be perfectly legal. And still, they remain unexplained. "In terms of aircraft flying at night and not being identified, this is a first for me personally," said Sheriff James Brueggeman of Perkins County, Neb., who has worked in law enforcement for about 28 years and who saw the drones while on patrol Tuesday night. The flights have drawn attention just as the Federal Aviation Administration last week proposed sweeping new regulations that would require most drones to be identifiable. Ian Gregor, a spokesman for the F.A.A., said that the timing of the proposed rule was coincidental, but that the agency had opened an investigation of the sightings in Colorado and Nebraska.
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Unexplained Drones Are Swarming by Night Over Colorado More

Unexplained Drones Are Swarming by Night Over Colorado

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  • Survey and mapping (Score:3)

    by johnjones ( 14274 ) on Thursday January 02, 2020 @04:44AM (#59578226) Homepage Journal

    with that sort of size then they will be doing a survey/mapping mission most likely for oil and gas

    nebraska has lots of oil and gas wells :
    https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d81c1b58437f4abfa0d8dec9b9d8627b [bit.ly]

    regards

    John Jones

    • Re:Survey and mapping (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Zocalo ( 252965 ) on Thursday January 02, 2020 @04:55AM (#59578238) Homepage
      If it is (or any other commercial surveying venture), and we take the FAA's statements at face value, then they're going to be in a world of hurt. AFAICT, commercial operation in the US (which absolutely covers surveying) requires a Part 107 certification, and if you are flying under Part 107 at night then you also require an FAA waiver. Since the FAA's statement implies they have no knowledge then they'll have a Federal agency on their ass if/when they get caught.

      The size of the drones does imply an organizational element though, so my guess is that it's the DEA surveying for drugs (climate controlled grow-ops are easier to spot via IR at night, which would fit with the timing and hovering over buildings like the farm in TFS), and they would probably have enough pull to stage an op like this without an FAA spokesdroid being provided with the full facts. IIRC, not *all* of Nebraska is legal for grow ops, so if there's a correlation between "low" and "high" counties then that would almost certainly explain it, unless they're just trying to get a feel for the total crop across the entire state.

      • drone built at home... the big oil companies dont like people actually finding out they polluted the drinking water...

        • Re:or activists against oil and gas (Score:4, Interesting)

          by Zocalo ( 252965 ) on Thursday January 02, 2020 @05:44AM (#59578268) Homepage
          Activists would be my second guess, but some reports estimate in the region of 30 drones operating, at least some of which have wingspans of around 2m, and doing so in a co-ordinated manner. While I can easily see a sufficiently well organized group getting 30 drones in the air and flying pre-agreed survey patterns (volunteer drone SAR groups have already done this), the 2m wingspan seems rather large and expensive for home-built UAVs if you're building this many, and also needlessly large if you want to be discreet, in which case you'd probably at least consider taping over any nav lights too.

          Then again, it's remarkably hard to estimate the size of things in the air without something to scale from, so I'd take the 2m figure with a pinch of salt until more evidence is provided. TFA also doesn't specifically say *all* the drones are that big, so it could well be that the majority could easily be DJI Phantoms, M2Es, or similar COTS models optimized for surveying, which would seem more likely to be what an activist group would be flying, with a few larger ones in the mix from the DIY crowd.

          • Here's everyone who has denied responsibility for the drones: The Federal Aviation Administration told The Denver Post that it had no idea where the drones were coming from. The Air Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and US Army Forces Command denied responsibility. The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management told Insider that the drones do not belong to the organization and while it is "not actively engaged" in the investigation, it has offered support to local jurisdictions. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) told 9News that it is unaware of drone operations taking place in northeastern Colorado. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has a drone program, told 9News that it is not conducting any work in Colorado and does not own any drone fleets like the ones described. Xcel Energy, which uses drones to inspect electricity and natural gas lines, told 9News that the drones spotted in Colorado and Nebraska don't belong to the company. Amazon, which uses drones for its Prime Air delivery service, told 9News that it is not responsible for the drone fleets. Google, which also has a drone delivery service, told 9News that it is not responsible for the drone fleets. A spokesman for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association told 9News that the drones were "interesting," but he didn't know whose they were. Black Swift Technology, a Denver-based company that researches the atmosphere and conducts area mapping, told 9News that it does not own any drones like the ones described. Drone mapping company Measure denied responsibility for the drones to 9News. Drone mapping company Juniper Unmanned denied responsibility, telling 9News that the drones it owns don't fly at night. The Colorado Department of Transportation denied responsibility, and also told 9News that it doesn't fly drones at night. Drone mapping company Adventure UAV told 9News that it is not responsible for the drones. Ride share app Uber, which has an FAA waiver to fly drones at night, told 9News that it does not fly drones in Colorado. Zipline International, which delivers medical supplies via drone, told 9News that it is not responsible for the drones. Flytcam Motion Pictures, which has an FAA waiver to fly drones at night, told 9News that it is not responsible for the drones.

            NASA and SpaceX didn't immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

          • 2M is a very common wingspan for fixed-wing models / drones, which would make sense anyways if the goal is to survey a large area

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

            Sky Lark Zeta Sky Observer 2m Wingspan Long Range FPV RC Remote Control

            • Re: (Score:2)

              by Holi ( 250190 )
              That is what I thought, but they also mention the drones hovering, which is something fixed wing drones don't do.
              Though I do wonder how accurate these reports are since they are only flying at night.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by Z00L00K ( 682162 )

        Unless it's DoD, then it's "Don't ask, Don't tell". And you'd be knee-deep in trouble if you do anything about them.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by jythie ( 914043 )
        They might indeed have the necessary paperwork. Since the drones do not have any easily seen identifying marks, and are not required to file flight plans, the FAA doesn't have any quick way to determine which licensed parties might be flying them outside calling each one. That is probably what the 'investigation' is, taking the various lists that have contact info and trying to get ahold of people over a holiday to ask.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Holi ( 250190 )
          A Part 107 waiver does require flight locations as well as dates and times, so the FAA would know if someone was flying them in the area.
    • Or the DEA looking for whatever it is the DEA likes looking for. That would explain the secrecy behind who's running them, don't want to alert growers that that's going on.

    • Why fly them at night then?

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by OzPeter ( 195038 )

        Why fly them at night then?

        As per a comment above, IR is easier to see at night and/or the sensors for seeing IR at night are smaller

        • Re:Survey and mapping (Score:4, Interesting)

          by postbigbang ( 761081 ) on Thursday January 02, 2020 @11:18AM (#59579066)

          Consider also that the hunt might be for radiological specimens, too, like radioactive elements. That fact might also cause there to be little to no "official" information about the quest.

          Could be a lost nuke, hunk of radium/thorium/uranium/etc.

          You'd want to fly at night to remove the random amount of noise coming from the sun for better signal to noise levels.

          Just speculation.

          • You may not be that far off. https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/ar... [energy.gov] Also https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/ae... [energy.gov] ... The pods are interchangeable between aerial platforms, but are probably too large for the drone sizes indicated. My bet is some sort of precision agricultural survey, looking at the circular irrigation dominating that area. Only thing military of interest is the Minuteman fields north of there in Wyoming / Nebraska. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

            • If it's ag-related, then the night time runs don't fit. What would you do if you had to do it in the dark? What "glows" in the dark?

              Further, what kind of drones have a really diffuse dispersion pattern? Why would a diffuse dispersion pattern be useful? They might need to be distant---- from each other (think resolution using an internal source metric).

              I'm absolutely AMUSED that no one's talking. Imagine the possible vulnerability this represents!! Somebody knows and isn't talking.

    • Why at night though? One would think that if it is a mapping and/or survey drone, it would be flying in the daytime. Also, they're likely of a size (0.55 lbs) that they should be registered with the FAA. This, of course, assumes the owners are not averse to following the law.

  • Duplicate (Score:5, Informative)

    by Ronin441 ( 89631 ) on Thursday January 02, 2020 @05:00AM (#59578242) Homepage
    Duplicate: https://news.slashdot.org/stor... [slashdot.org]

    • For a moment there I was thinking "another occurrence???" - turns out it's the same one. A change in the Matrix, it seems.

    • The story does not appear in the main newsfeed on the 25th. You can look back at the main feed [slashdot.org]. This story does not appear. Maybe it was in story submissions or firehose? But it isn't a duplicate.

      • The 24th...

        Although you can't rule out idiots, kids, or idiot kids, there's no rational reason for legal surveying or mapping in the dark without permits.

        The primary tactical advantage of night time surveillance is discretion, as it makes the drones a bit more difficult shoot down... these sightings are being reported in the country.

        • Although you can't rule out idiots, kids, or idiot kids,

          Typical.

          I finally succeeded in chasing them off my lawn for good . . . and now they have taken to the skies!

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by jythie ( 914043 )
          Part of the problem is that the permit process does not require a way to identify the drones from the ground, so figuring out if a swarm like this has permits involves the FAA phoning up each company that it could be and asking 'are these your drones?'.

          But as others have pointed out, there are all sorts of non-discretion reasons to do surveys at night.

  • follow the swarm? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by sad_ ( 7868 ) on Thursday January 02, 2020 @06:45AM (#59578318) Homepage

    how difficult can it be to track the swarm? it has to land sometime, somewhere.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Z00L00K ( 682162 )

      Nuclear powered drones FTW!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Well let's think about it. These are large drones probably with considerable range. A bit far to chase with your own small drone. Likely too fast to chase in a car and they can fly in any direction where as you are stuck with roads of uneven terrain. They are probably too low for most radar systems in the area.

      So yeah, probably not that easy to track.

      • Maybe they're that large. The reports from TFA seem a bit like 70's UFO witness interviews. No photographs of the activity, using binoculars at night to report no clear markings on the drones, and conflicting reports, such as that they come within 150' of residences and are "too far away too shoot down".

      • Why would a larger drone have considerable range? Larger drone = heavier = larger batteries = diminishing returns by adding more weight. They are flying at night so they aren't doing photogrammetry (cameras need light). Larger sensors for mapping like lidar would be expensive and with many drones it would be even more so cost prohibitive. Drones (non fixed wing ones) are fast but not faster than a vehicle, or a strong flashlight and a camera). Looking through meadows and fields with swarms of unlisted d

    • how difficult can it be to track the swarm?

      Not very. But most likely:
      a) People who would track the swarm don't care enough to actually do it since they are likely part of a perfectly legal and sanctioned operation anyway (just because you don't know something doesn't make it false).
      b) People who complain about it don't care enough to actually do it since all they care about is writing angry letters.

  • Here comes the future (Score:4, Interesting)

    by jbmartin6 ( 1232050 ) on Thursday January 02, 2020 @08:44AM (#59578486)
    How long until every small town on up needs more budget for a local air force to defend against dronecrime?

  • Can't shoot? Blah blah blah (Score:5, Funny)

    by andyring ( 100627 ) on Thursday January 02, 2020 @09:34AM (#59578640) Homepage

    OK, so no one has any idea where they are coming from or who owns them. And any official entity denies any involvement.

    In that case, go ahead and shoot one down. Perfect way to see who owns them by who complains. "Oh, that was your flying thing? Sorry, I was aiming for the clay pigeons with my buddies and it flew in the way right as I fired."

  • Everyone is missing the obvious answer (Score:3)

    by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Thursday January 02, 2020 @11:40AM (#59579152)

    Since no-one has claimed ownership, these are obviously wild free-range drones that have formed a swarm on their own, and have grown in number and size as a result of escaping domestication.

    Let them live peacefully in the skies above.

  • Simple. Shoot them down, see who complains.

    Problem solved.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by cusco ( 717999 )

      Your neighbors downrange might not be too happy with your solution, a 30-30 round can travel up to three miles.

      Besides, it's illegal. They'll probably show up with the sheriff patrol in tow for destroying their property if you're lucky, if you're not they'll bring the FBI since it's a federal offense to shoot at aircraft.

      • It's a rural area. 3 miles might make it to the edge of the road by your neighbor's back lot. And no, it's not dangerous when coming down.

  • It's going to be up to 5 years before they're in place, but the FAA has proposed new drone regulations that would make it mandatory for all but the smallest drone aircraft to identify themselves and to show their position in real time. Only certain government entities and a few others would be exempt. If those were in place, at least you'd be able to tell if they're public or private (or illegal, in which case you could report them and presumably have authorities do something) by whether they're following t

  • I'm surprised that there isn't anybody around there with their own drone willing to take a closer look. Please live-stream the video for us, thanks.

    • The DEA looking for an excuse to bust someone
    • DOD testing something off the books
    • FAA drumming up support for further restrictions on drones.

      Given the size and so the cost of those drones, it is unlikely to be a private citizen.

  • This article hitting the big media outlets is sort of reminiscent of the old "In Search Of" episodes I enjoyed as a kid. Heavy on questions to mesmerize you into a sort of helpless state, but low on testable science. Drones are generally controlled via 900 MHz, 2.4 and 5.8 GHz, Even if it were down in the UHF/VHF bands, these are all highly trackable frequencies + modes. Unlike HF Skywave or skip propagation, which entails refracting off the ionosphere and going potentially very long distances (hundreds

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