In response to increasing public concerns about reported drone sightings, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) added two more regions Thursday to its growing list of drone-restricted areas in the state.
“At the request of federal security partners, the FAA published 22 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) prohibiting drone flights over critical New Jersey infrastructure,” the FAA told CNSNews in a statement. An online FAA list shows that two new Flight Data Center (FDC) restricted areas were added on Thursday:
- FDC 4/8986: Bedminster, New Jersey near SOLBERG VOR/DME (SBJ)
- FDC 4/8842: Evesham, New Jersey near MC GUIRE VORTAC (GXU)
Bedminster is the home of the President-elect Donald Trump’s Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.
The flurry of “Temporary flight restrictions for Special Security Reasons” in New Jersey began last month on November 25 when FDC 4/8833 restricted drones in Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, which were set to expire on December 26, 2024. Picatinny Arsenal is a U.S. Army installation.
Most restrictions are in effect through January 17, 2024, though they may be extended through additional TFRs. Thursday’s Bedminster TFR, for example, extended a previous restriction that was scheduled to expire on December 20 through January 31, 2025.
Each notice provides a boilerplate list of exceptions, such as those for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operations. But, drones that are in violation of the restrictions are subject to a list of punishments and government actions – including the use of “deadly force,” if considered to be “an imminent security threat”:
“Pilots who do not adhere to the following PROC may be intercepted, detained and interviewed by law enforcement/security personnel. Any of the following additional actions may also be taken against a pilot who does not comply with the RQMNTS or any special instructions or PROC announced in this NOTAM: a) the FAA may take administrative action, including imposing civil penalties and the suspension or revocation of airmen certificates; or b) the united states government may pursue criminal charges, including charges under 49 USC Section 46307; or c) the United States government may use deadly force against the airborne ACFT, if it is determined that the ACFT poses an imminent security threat.”
On Friday, the FAA added more than two dozen areas in New York to its nationwide list of drone bans.
Technically, the restrictions apply to what are known as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), which include not only the drones, but also the operations required to fly the drones and their pilots.
A joint statement issued Tuesday by the FAA, DHS, FBI and DOD acknowledged the large volume of drone sightings reported in recent weeks, but dismissed them as innocuous:
“FBI has received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports. Consistent with each of our unique missions and authorities, we are quickly working to prioritize and follow these leads. We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent trained visual observers.
“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”
“That said, we recognize the concern among many communities,” the statement added.
