On Sunday, Adam Kinzinger, a former representative from Illinois and military pilot, expressed his belief that all the mysterious drone sightings captured in videos are actually airplanes.
In an interview with CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield, Kinzinger stated, “Honestly, every video I’ve seen — and I’ve spent the last couple of days looking at every one of these videos — every video I have seen on Twitter, on the internet, are all airplanes.
Kinzinger reassures public that drone sightings pose no danger
They’re literally all airplanes.” He explained that some footage shows what appears to be a stable drone, but it is likely an airplane flying towards the viewer at an altitude of 30,000 feet, which can be identified by its lighting.
Kinzinger further noted, “If any of these pictures that they have shown are actual drones, these drones then are complying with FAA lighting requirements: a green on the right, a red on the left with a strobe.” He dismissed theories suggesting involvement from Iran or aliens, speculating that if drones were present, they might belong to a company testing drones legally, which would not necessitate public disclosure.
Addressing public concerns, Kinzinger acknowledged that if people are unwilling to be reassured, it won’t happen. He emphasized that authorities have indicated there is no threat. “I mean, look, if people don’t want to be reassured, then the answer is no,” he stated regarding whether sufficient information has been provided to alleviate public fears. “And, you know, look at what I’m hearing from Homeland. And what I’m hearing from FBI is we don’t see a threat here.”
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed on Sunday that while the drone sightings are indeed real, there is no evidence of foreign involvement. “There’s no question that people are seeing drones,” Mayorkas affirmed. “And I want to assure the American public that we, in the federal government, have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology, to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings.”
He elaborated on the reasons behind the increase in sightings. “Let me set the record straight here,” Mayorkas added. “There are thousands of drones flown every day in the United States — recreational drones, commercial drones.
That is the reality.” He noted that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) changed its regulations in September 2023, allowing drones to fly at night, which may account for the heightened visibility of drones during various times of the day. “And so that is the reality,” he concluded.
