What Happened To The Mysterious Drone Sightings Over New Jersey?

Have you noticed that no one is talking about the strange drone sightings over New Jersey anymore? The topic has completely fallen out of the news cycle—no more coverage on major media outlets, television networks, or even social media. Even Antonio Brown posted on X asking, “What happened to the drones?” Well, they just disappeared.

That’s because there was never any real threat to begin with. This story was blown out of proportion from the start, gaining more attention than it deserved despite the lack of credible sources or evidence. Week after week, misinformation spread through social media and even major news outlets, fueled by members of our community and elected officials. Now, the topic has simply lost its appeal.

If you check Google Trends, you’ll see that searches for “New Jersey drones” peaked on December 14 but declined just as quickly. Similar search terms followed the same pattern—initial high interest, followed by complete evaporation once people caught on.

Lessons Learned

I uploaded my first video about the sightings on December 11, just before the peak in online interest. Since then, I’ve posted response videos and follow-ups as more information emerged. Here are the three key realizations I’ve made:

1. People will believe anything if it fits a narrative.

Whether the narrative is positive or negative, as long as it garners views, people will keep pushing it. In this case, videos showing random lights in the sky attracted thousands of views, with claims of UFO sightings over New Jersey. In reality, these were likely just military or commercial aircraft—nothing extraordinary.

2. No credible evidence was ever found.

No one discovered any spaceships or drones allegedly from another country. The only “evidence” was low-quality cell phone videos shared online.

3. No lasting damage to the Drone Industry.

Fortunately, this hysteria didn’t seem to cause long-term harm to the drone industry, which is a relief for those of us who work in it.

Debunking the Hysteria

Throughout my videos, I highlighted dozens of examples where people misidentified airplanes or helicopters as drones. In many cases, the errors were blatantly obvious.

Take Congressman Van Drew’s early comments, for instance. He claimed the drones were Iranian and launched from a “mothership” in the Atlantic Ocean, even as footage next to him showed commercial airliners flying between airports. Videos shared on platforms like X were also debunked by community notes, where experts provided logical explanations for the lights in the sky. Most sightings turned out to be everyday commercial or military aircraft.

I even appeared on NewsNation to share my perspective live. I reiterated that this entire story was fueled by mass hysteria. Now, as other sensational topics have emerged, the mysterious drone sightings have stopped. Weird, right?

The Current State of the Drone Industry

Now that the story has faded, the drone industry seems unaffected in the long term. While the hysteria created some short-term challenges, things are returning to normal for drone pilots.

For example, I’ve had the Police called on me multiple times while working in New Jersey. Homeowners see drones in the air and think they’ve “caught the guy” responsible for the statewide sightings. Luckily, once I show them my Part 107 certificate and explain my work, the situation is quickly resolved.

Another challenge has been the Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) placed around New Jersey and New York. These restrictions, positioned near power distribution centers and other critical infrastructure, were meant to curb the hysteria. While they’ve caused issues for some drone pilots, they are set to expire soon. For instance, some TFRs will lift within one or two weeks, allowing airspace to reopen.

Looking Ahead

Now that the drone sighting hysteria has subsided, it seems like we can all move forward. The FAA’s involvement during the height of the story seemed more coincidental than impactful, but it did help calm some of the panic.

For most drone pilots, this episode has been a minor speed bump. Hopefully, we can get back to our work without unnecessary interference. If you’re a drone pilot and have experienced similar challenges during this time, feel free to share your stories.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully, this will be the last time I need to discuss this topic. As always, I’ll catch you in the next one!

Peace.