Sen. Harding on unauthorized drone spottings: “The public deserves an explanation immediately.”

Drone in CT spotted over Bradley International Airport, according to audio recording

Hearst CT 

On Dec. 12, at about 8:45 p.m. a pilot was talking to the tower at Bradley International Airport, when the tower operator spotted something unusual.

A Delta flight departed shortly before, but it would have been “long gone” by then, the tower says, essentially ruling that out as the unusual sighting.

“It’s not big enough to be picking up on my radar scope. It must be a little drone or something,” the tower told the JetBlue pilot according to the audio of the exchange, retrieved from LiveATC.net

The pilot agreed. “I think it is a drone that’s … definitely somebody shouldn’t have it up there.”

“Not this close,” the tower replied.

Both the pilot and the tower agree there’s no danger as the drone moves off to the south, and the plane is cleared for takeoff, with a warning to “use caution for possible drone activity.”

Drones are not uncommon, but drone sightings in Connecticut picked up considerably beginning Thursday, when news broke of coordinated groups of larger-than-usual drones appearing in New Jersey.

Since then, there have been “dozens and dozens” of drone sightings in Connecticut, Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday.

Those sightings around the country have come without much explanation. Many officials have ruled out foreign entities flying them, in addition to some or all military units, there seems to be little answer.

In the meantime, Lamont has downplayed the sightings while Sen. Richard Blumenthal has urged answers and the possibility of taking action against the drones.

“We are aware of drone sightings in the vicinity of Bradley International Airport,” a spokesperson for the Connecticut Airport Authority said Monday. “There has been no impact to airport operations.”

A group of four Republican state senators on Tuesday released a joint statement thanking Lamont for “demanding prompt answers” but asking for more information.

“This really boils down to two questions: What is happening in the sky, and why is it happening? The public deserves an explanation immediately. Enough is enough,” said Sen. Paul Cicarella, R-Wallingford, Sen. Jeff Gordon, R-Woodstock, Sen. Tony Hwang, R-Fairfield, and Sen. Stephen Harding, R-Hartford, said. “Communication is key. Without the facts, you get speculation, confusion and fear.”

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District, said during an interview Monday with CT Insider that he is “relatively confident that this is not a government operation.”

“My own belief is that most of these things are airplanes,” Himes said. “Some of them are probably drones. Every neighborhood kid has a drone. Humans, and this is just a fact, aren’t very good at judging things in the dark at speed.”

https://www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/article/drones-over-ct-update-bradley-airport-19985637.php