Creepy Mysterious Aircraft Are Flying Over American Cities. FYI.

a reply to: DelMarvel

Or, you know, just park and walk around... Smaller airports don't have the security you would expect. Just pop into the FBO and say you want to take some pictures for an aviation blog. Doubt you'll get any trouble, probably even tell you if there is anything interesting around if you talk to some of the old timers.

Figured with what is going on in Phoenix, I'd see if anything was flying around there. Came across this circling right now.



The N registry says it's owned by the National Aircraft Leasing Corp in Greenville, Delaware. Can't find too much about them online.

Edit to add: The aircraft is circling a few miles northwest of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix.

originally posted by: cmdrkeenkid
a reply to: DelMarvel
Just pop into the FBO and say you want to take some pictures for an aviation blog..

So, now you want me to take a camera to an airport where there might be secret government planes and LIE about what I'm doing there?

Maybe twenty years ago when I was still feeling my oats. I'm paranoid that I'm on the no-fly list as it is.

a reply to: DelMarvel

I don't want you do to anything. It would be awesome if you did, but I'm not telling you to do anything at all. I take cameras to airports all the time. You wouldn't be the first person, you won't be the last. Worst case, someone asks what you're doing and lets you go on your way.

originally posted by: cmdrkeenkid
Figured with what is going on in Phoenix, I'd see if anything was flying around there. Came across this circling right now.

The N registry says it's owned by the National Aircraft Leasing Corp in Greenville, Delaware. Can't find too much about them online.

Edit to add: The aircraft is circling a few miles northwest of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix.

Here you go:

A mysterious Delaware company’s single-engine light aircraft may soon be circling the sky near you.

Last year, residents of Lodi, California noticed a tiny Cessna 182 moving in slow circles over their small town, just circling and circling for at least a month.

The Lodi News-Sentinel got a hold of a picture of the mystery plane, checked its tail number with the FAA and traced it to the Northwest Aircraft Leasing Corp. in Newark, Delaware. The listed address, reporters found, was a mail drop

The plane was spotted shortly after the FBI moved in on suspected al Qaeda associates living in the area.

www.wired.com...

a reply to: baddmove

I'm pretty sure the one in Boston (grrr) was confirmed to be FBI. So yeah... I wave to it when it comes by, buzzing for hours on end.

ETA: It's strange... I've noted the demeanor people take when they notice it. My mom who is pretty pacifist, gets mad and takes on a sarcastic but defiant tone... as I and pretty much everyone else does.

a reply to: DelMarvel

Yeah, that was the first result when I Google searched the company too. Not sure why that popped up. This aircraft is registered to National Aircraft Leasing Corp in Greenville, Delaware. That article is about an aircraft, with a seemingly similar job profile, registered to Northwest Aircraft Leasing Corp. in Newark, Delaware. Which is why I didn't post that...

So doing some straight up Googling on this. It's apparently not much of a secret.

As tensions eased and protests continued this past weekend in Baltimore, a small squadron of aircraft circled neighborhoods affected by the riots and other violence of April 27—providing Baltimore City Police with an eye in the sky to monitor the protests and other "possible criminal activity," as an FBI official told the Washington Post.

These aircraft (or at least some of them) were part of the FBI's secret surveillance air force—small planes with sensors perfected for battlefield intelligence in Iraq and Afghanistan that have quietly seen service all over the country. The aircraft, equipped with high-definition day and night surveillance systems, gave police a way to spot curfew-breakers on the streets from the sky.

arstechnica.com...

The FBI has a fleet of aircraft, some equipped with night surveillance and eavesdropping equipment, flying America's skies to track and collect intelligence on suspected terrorists and other criminals.

The FBI will not provide exact figures on the planes and helicopters, but more than 80 are in the skies. There are several planes, known as "Nightstalkers," equipped with infrared devices that allow agents to track people and vehicles in the dark.

Other aircraft are outfitted with electronic surveillance equipment so agents can pursue listening devices placed in cars, in buildings and even along streets, or listen to cell phone calls. Still others fly photography missions, although officials would not describe precise capabilities.

www.foxnews.com...

THE BOSTON office of the FBI clammed up when asked if its agents were at the controls of low-flying aircraft making continuous loops over Quincy and abutting communities during all hours of the day and night in recent weeks. But short of towing a colorful banner declaring “FBI Surveillance Operation’’ behind the propeller-driven Cessna aircraft, the answer is pretty obvious.

www.bostonglobe.com...

And this is a good article:

MINNEAPOLIS — When a friend happened to spot a surveillance flight over his neighborhood, it led Sam Richards, an independent journalist, to uncover a fleet of secret airplanes registered to fake corporations apparently created by the Department of Justice.

www.mintpressnews.com...

originally posted by: cmdrkeenkid
a reply to: DelMarvel

I don't want you do to anything. It would be awesome if you did, but I'm not telling you to do anything at all. I take cameras to airports all the time. You wouldn't be the first person, you won't be the last. Worst case, someone asks what you're doing and lets you go on your way.

And I apologize for joking around. Though I actually would be far too paranoid to go take pictures at airports where these FBI planes might be based.

a reply to: DelMarvel

Worst that happened when I worked at an airport was the FAA would send someone out to check your ID, and they usually spent 10-15 minutes just chatting. They don't know what you're taking pictures of or if you're there for specific aircraft. There are usually three or four spotters at any given time at any given airport. Just look at the FlightAware forums at all the pictures people have taken of aircraft at various airports over the years and see how prevalent it is as a hobby.

Thanks for the replies but I just found this quote this morning.

Here is the street address for RTK Productions: 2806 Naylor Road Se #126 Washington, District Of Columbia 20020 They have only been in business for 5 months.

So this is just a front office for the F.B.I ?????

Why would they bother???

I've been to KHEF several times as I'm not too far from there so I thought I'd add some information to the discussion. In regards to those who are curious about the drones and the relation to the Northern Virginia area here's a link from the City of Manassas's website. Under "Aurora Flight Services" you can check out the company there whose business is drones and drone systems. If you're interested here's a Google Maps link to the building. I can't say I've ever seen one of their products fly nor heard them around, to be honest there isn't a great deal of overflight in the area due to the proximity of the approach to KIAD.

As far as the access of the airport to the public, the businesses are of course accessible by all so long as you enter from their fronts and stay within the buildings. If you wish to go on the AOA (airport operations area) to KHEF you need escort unless you have a SIDA (Security Identification Display Area) badge issued by the airport by way of the business your associated with. I've been on the AOA a number of times but not without an escort from a flight instructor or airport representative.

a reply to: baddmove

2 days and the Youtube video (from OP link) has already been taken down. You have to ask what they are hiding?!

originally posted by: cmdrkeenkid
Figured with what is going on in Phoenix, I'd see if anything was flying around there. Came across this circling right now.

The N registry says it's owned by the National Aircraft Leasing Corp in Greenville, Delaware. Can't find too much about them online.

Edit to add: The aircraft is circling a few miles northwest of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix.

A quick search found a little bit older yet interesting article on wired. If I was close to this company I'd get up and personal and spy and said spy plane because it's not like it's the CIA so I could t be arrested for treason.

www.wired.com...

FAA address detail:


registry.faa.gov...

What actually are the US laws regarding citizens shining bright and powerful lasers at these drones and blinding their sensors?...just asking.

a reply to: MysterX

While some are drones, most of thses are piloted aircraft, and the Feebs would be most ungracious to you.

OTOH, I'm not sure what the law is for, say, an IR laser.

So someone points out the logic that one of the companies is a PRODUCTION company, and everyone just ignores that truth entirely and continues with their paranoid beliefs instead...

My guess is that this is more likely a combination of things -

Production companies filming (you see overhead shots in almost every movie and TV show out there, this is not shocking, creepy or strange),
Police and agencies,
Training flights,
Recreational pilots,
City planning,
Architects,
Traffic monitoring,

There are potentially hundreds of reasons why someone might be flying planes over these areas in this way. The fact that someone has seen one and thought it was strange now leads a hundred other people to see something they never saw before and instantly think it's all the same thing and it's all absolutely suspicious!

There are hundreds of thousands of small flights in the US every day, just because you don't know about them doesn't make them an insidious plot when you do.

a reply to: Quasar3C273

Welcome to the boards. Like your namesake, you seem to be pretty bright!

Another idea is to fly in. I'm sure there are some private pilots in the area that are members here, but I know that navigating the airspace around DC can be a bit harrowing (to say the least).

They don't ever happen to host a pancake breakfast, do they? Not only are those fun, with usually good food, they support aviation interests and give you access to the field you may not otherwise have. Father's Day is usually one of the big days to have them.

I still say heading over and talking to some of the old timers at the FBOs is the best bet. Chances are, they even have a plane based there and would be more than glad to show you around.

a reply to: Bedlam

I'd imagine it to be frowned upon. You could easily cause loss of control, which could lead to damaging the equipment or causing damage/injuries on the ground if it were to crash.

At the same time, if you can afford a good IR laser, you can probably afford the court costs.

a reply to: Rocker2013

That was me that pointed out it could be for film production, in my first post in the thread. I also edited that post to include that after reviewing more information about these front companies and past incidents, it seemed more likely to be government related.

My friends tell me they see predator drones regularly while out hunting in the swamp and sometimes while out fishing too.

Apparently they don't fly them too much during daylight hours over populated areas, but congress made it legal to fly military drones over the US in 2012

originally posted by: Rocker2013
So someone points out the logic that one of the companies is a PRODUCTION company, and everyone just ignores that truth entirely and continues with their paranoid beliefs instead...
.

I'm almost always in agreement with you regarding irrational paranoid beliefs here but in this case I think there has been pretty solid evidence presented that what the OP is talking about are indeed FBI surveillance flights by small planes circling American cities. In the case of Baltimore the FBI even admitted it to the Washington Post and there are other MSM articles describing the fleet as at least 60-100 planes.

I found this article pretty interesting:

www.mintpressnews.com...