A still of one of the drones captured by Omaha NBC affiliate WOWT, brightness and contrast adjusted
The first reports back in late December 2019 said that eyewitnesses throughout northeastern Colorado had begun seeing formations of large drones flying at night in complex grid-like patterns over rural areas and farmland. Since then, the sightings have multiplied and the drones have begun appearing in neighbouring Nebraska, as well.
The drone sightings have continued and grown remarkably throughout Colorado and Nebraska, recently being spotted in several more counties in southwest Nebraska and on the outskirts of the metro Denver area.
The drones have been seen in Northeast Colorado, Southwest Nebraska, and as far east as Hall and Saunders counties in Nebraska
There is no mystery as to if the drones are actually being seen. Law enforcement and other officials have seen them and, apparently, they are almost laughably easy to see yourself. Case in point: on Jan. 7, local NBC affiliate WOWT in Omaha went out looking for the drones and readily caught them – or some sort of plane they misconstrued as one – on camera outside Mead, Nebraska, flying low with their engines easily heard.
The Phillips County Sheriff’s Office statement mentions specifically that law enforcement agencies are now looking for a “command vehicle” in the form of a “closed box trailer with antennas” or a large van. They have asked for people to report any strange vehicle with this description that is unfamiliar to the area. This may exist, but by our previous analysis, the drones are more likely flown autonomously along a pre-planned route via autopilot, not by a man-in-the-loop control arrangement.
In addition, the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control has supplied at least one of its two multi-mission Pilatus PC-12 turboprops, which operate out of Centennial, Colorado. The MMA, or multi-mission aircraft, are equipped with Wescam MX-15HDi sensor balls featuring three separate cameras, including infrared and electro-optical types with wide and narrow fields of views.
Multi-mission Pilatus PC-12 turboprop
The MX-15HDi is sensitive enough to detect a small campfire from 28,000 feet and even though they wouldn’t have a very hot infrared signature, the MX-15HDi’s medium wavelength infrared sensor could identify a drone type and track one it as it flies low over the ground, especially considering they are lit up, to begin with. It could also allow the PC-12 to spot and follow any potential command vehicles on the ground in the vicinity of the drones – if such a vehicle does indeed exist.
Source: The Drive
Funny, the aircraft sound you hear is exactly like the sound of a light aircraft flying overhead. Since they dont have any thing but lights, and no known distance between them I doubt they have any idea how low they actually were. Now everything with a strobe and nav lights is a drone! Great…
Talking about thermal, Many cops and firefighters have thermal imaging systems, State wildlife officals have thermal systems, employ those and this silliness will soon abate.
Ok, sorry, if you dont know the sound of an airplane, know what recognition lights on said airplane looks like, dont go out and do a story. The video they led with is a light aircraft probably of the Cessna or Piper 4 seater variety. Red nav Light, white tail light, red beacon on the tail, come on folks, how frigging hard was that. Took me two seconds.
The guy saying it is a “V” uh yeah, that is what the shape is from an aircraft, Red tip, White Landing lights in the wings on both sides, you can only barely see the green on the other because it is facing away from you, and the white rear nav light, and the rotating becon. The sound of a turboprop motor, they are probably seeing a small short hauler for Fed EX.
Not saying drones are not flying out there, but these fools couldn’t find one to save their souls. It scares me to think these people are tasked with bringing us our information each day. Really, It should scare you too.