(NewsNation) — Drones are popular teen gifts, but Federal Aviation Administration bans in parts of New Jersey and New York may delay their use.
After more than a month of sightings across multiple states, lawmakers and the general public are no closer to discovering what mysterious drones are spotted in the northeast and a handful of other states.
An unexplained large number of drones began flying over sensitive military sites in New Jersey in mid-November. the White House and the Pentagon insist they don’t pose a threat.
Dr. Hasaan Shahidi, CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, noted that among the thousands of reported incidents, some involved drones operating in restricted airspace, while others were sightings of piloted aircraft.
He encourages Americans to follow the restrictions and comply with regulations as the FAA conducts its investigation.
“The FAA is providing a lot of resources. There’s a Drone Zone website that you can go to and get a lot of information. Also, you can download … (the) Before You Fly app. It tells you where you can and can’t fly,” Shahidi said.
The FAA temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey where critical infrastructure is located. FAA officials said federal security agencies requested the flight restrictions, which are effective through Jan. 17.
Other than New Jersey, drones have been spotted in other Northeastern states, including New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Sightings have also been reported in California, Florida, Ohio and Minnesota.
NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer and Tom Dempsey contributed to this report.