Drone expert weighs in on recent sightings across Philadelphia region

Monday, December 16, 2024 6:31PM ET
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Multiple drone sightings continue to cause concern in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and across the East Coast.

Some have been spotted near airports and military sites, and the alleged drone sightings have people worked up.

Some are calling it hysteria, but experts tell us there is some legitimacy to some of the sightings.

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"I think there's a lot going on here and it's hard to unpack," said Tom Adams.



Adams is a former FBI special agent who worked in unmanned aircraft systems. He's currently the director of public safety for DroneShield, a global provider of counter-drone defense solutions.

"I think it would be good for us at this point, with all that's going on, to take what I would call a tactical pause. Let's take a deep breath," he said.

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Adams acknowledged there are likely legitimate drone sightings, but that doesn't mean they are a threat.

And the growing media coverage and response by law enforcement are likely adding fuel to the fire and creating a little hysteria.



More people are now looking to the skies. In his experience, airplanes, satellites, and even planets have been misidentified as drones.

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"So we have drones looking for drones," he said. "We have aircraft looking for drones. We have probably some hobbyists out there flying their drones just trying to see what's going on," said Adams.

He commends people being more aware of what is in the skies above them, but he stresses there needs to be better education moving forward about drones.

"I think getting familiar with FAA rules and regulations similar to how we're familiar with you know common driving laws and different things, like that, will help," added Adams.



He said people can use a variety of applications like Flight Radar 24 and SkyView Lite to see what was reported in the airspace around them.
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