New Jersey drone pilot says most sightings are easily explained
CLARK, N.J. -- A New Jersey drone pilot says most sightings are easily explained as people have been reporting mysterious drones in the state for weeks.
It comes as the Federal Aviation Administration expanded a temporary drone ban across many communities in New York and New Jersey.
"In the sky, it's hard to judge the size of anything"
John Jacobson, a retired U.S. Army veteran, 9/11 survivor and drone enthusiast, flies his drones several times a week from his backyard in Clark, New Jersey.
"The drones have these amazing cameras on them that allow you to take incredible pictures of the world around you from above," he said.
Jacobson says hobbyist drones are easily modified and can be doubled in size. For example, he added bamboo extensions and cheap LED lights from Amazon to his.
"In the sky, it's hard to judge size of anything. If you see lights blinking, it could be any size," he said.
Explaining the drone mystery
Jacobson believes most of the drone mystery is easily explained.
"I would say 95% of all drone sightings are either hobby drones, or it's a mistaken identity, or it's a helicopter," Jacobson said.
Though New Jersey officials have debunked some rumors about the drones, Jacobson still has questions about the other roughly 5% percent of sightings.
"I think there's something else going on out there that we can't explain," he said.
So, the next time you see a drone in the night sky, odds are someone with a remote control somewhere is having a blast.