More drone sightings have been reported in the D.C. area. News4’s Megan McGrath spoke with an expert about what people can and can’t do if they spot the drones.
Groups of drones seen flying around the suburbs of Washington, D.C., in recent days are leaving many people perplexed and wondering what — if anything — they should do.
Residents of the Hawthorne Village Condominiums in Fairfax, Virginia, say drones began flying nearby about 8 p.m. and stuck around for a few hours.
"There was about 10 of them. It was 9 o'clock at night. I have no idea why they were here," resident Gina Zaiss said.
She's not alone.
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Former Maryland governor Larry Hogan wrote on X that he captured video of about a dozen large drones Thursday night near his home in Davidsonville.
Thursday’s sightings are part of a string of recent incidents in the D.C. region and along the East Coast.
Like many, Hogan said he wants a more robust federal investigation into the sightings and wants to know who’s behind them — and if they're connected.
"I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security. But the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government," Hogan said. "People are rightfully clamoring for answers, but aren’t getting any."
The FBI and Homeland Security have not said much about the drone sightings other than that they pose no known threat.
John Kirby, the White House spokesman on national security matters, told reporters Thursday that Homeland Security, the FBI and state and local law enforcement “have not been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings" of the drones.
In D.C., there are strict regulations on drone use. Recreational drone use is not allowed in the 14-mile no-fly zone. Commercial use is only allowed with preauthorization from the FAA and TSA, which requires the filing of a flight plan.
Luisa Winters, co-owner of Mid-Atlantic Drones, is an advanced ground school instructor certified by the FAA.
She said recreational drone use is often legal outside restricted airspace as long as the drones are registered.
"It may not be illegal, right? It all depends upon the airspace. If the airspace is uncontrolled, what we call 'G' or 'golf' airspace, you don’t need to file a flight plan, you don’t need authorization, you can just go. Just fly, you know. And ... you can fly at night. So some of the sightings may be perfectly legal," Winters said.
Although some have found the recent sightings disturbing, Winters said people should never try to take drones out of the sky.
"Don’t throw a rock at it. Don’t shoot it down. Drones are considered aircraft, and that’s a federal offense. That's a federal offense. Let’s be very clear," she said.
Winters explained a falling drone could hit someone on the ground.
She said people can report drone sightings to police or the FBI. However, it remains unclear what authorities will do.
The FBI's Baltimore office gave the following statement Friday in light of the recent sightings:
"FBI Baltimore is aware of recent sightings of possible drones flying over Maryland and Delaware. As always, suspicious or criminal activity can be reported to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitted online at tips.fbi.gov."
