by Rachel Seo, KUAM News

Drone sightings are on the rise, transforming industries but also raising new questions and privacy and safety. What should we do? 

Moving lights in the night sky, mysterious flying objects overhead, people wondering if they’re drones as sightings continue to be on the rise, raising questions about privacy and security.  Charlie Hermosa with Bella Wings Aviation shared insight into the growing concerns and how these sightings could be attributed to a combination of factors, from the proximity to flight paths for manned aircraft to recreational purposes.

“It’s a little bit has to do with the flight path of the actual manned aircraft that are flying into the airport," he explained, adding, “the second part is that you know within that area, you still have recreational, you still have Part 107 flyers who are allowed to fly at night.”

Hermosa clarifies that many of these drones follow legal regulations and are authorized to be in the air. However, not all objects in the sky are manned and recreational. 

“And they look to be a little bit more on the military government-side, and that’s the part that I’ve been able to confirm that they are there has been certain operations that have been going on with companies that have been testing their sort of military government grade-type drones in that area and other areas as well," Hermosa said.

While the U.S. Government has not been able to effectively inform the public, our island has done a great job. Hermosa commented, “And I think the military has done a lot of public outreach to let the public know that don’t fly in these areas or you’re going to get, you know, taken down.”

But caution is still needed. Hermosa stresses that attempting to bring down a drone even if it’s hovering over your property could lead to committing a federal offense.  “The property is yours, but the space and air does not belong to the property," he said. “We want to be able to follow regulations and be able to utilize our drones in the right way.” 5:07

In the meantime, he promotes a local drone workshop that trains residents to fly drones on a commercial level while also helping them obtain federal aviation administration certification.  “It’s a three-day [event]," he invited. "It’s going to be Friday through Sunday, and it’s going to be really compact, get you ready to take the exam...get you started flying as a Part 107 pilot so we’re really looking forward to that, and we really look forward to 2025 being the year that we open that up.”

More information about this workshop can be found online at 2cofly.com. 

For now, Hermosa encourages the public to keep your eyes on the sky and leave the flying to the professionals. And with the right education and regulations in place, drones can safely become a part of our future, starting with the ecofly workshop.