Officials offer no explanation for a mystery drone fleet that has been spotted exploring Colorado’s night skies.
Local media reported on Monday that at least 17 drones were seen over the skies of the counties of Yuma and Phillips with an estimated wingspan of six feet. Local police don’t know the aircraft’s origin, but they don’t think they pose a threat.
“They do not seem to be aggressive, they do nothing that might suggest criminal activity,” Phillips County Sheriff Thomas Elliott told The Denver Post. “They did a grid scan, a grid pattern, flying one square and flying another square.”
Officials believe that a private company may have deployed the drones. One possible explanation for the activity is the mapping of the city. The number and size of drones makes it unlikely that hobbyists can fly.
It is said that the drones work between 7 and 10 p.m. hours, having been first seen about a week ago. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and United States leaders. All air forces reportedly told police that they were unable to account for the aircraft.
Although the presence of unidentified drones may be unsettling for some, there is no reason to assume they are breaking any laws or regulations. The FAA does not require drones to file flight plans unless they are traveling in restricted airspace and waivers can easily nullify other regulations that may govern the craft. At the state level, there appears to be no law they would be violating, according to the article.