Recently, many residents of Hastings have become alarmed by mysterious drones flying around town for unknown reasons. However, these drones have not only been spotted in the Hastings area; they have shown up throughout northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska.
The first sightings of these drones, with a massive six-foot wingspan, occurred on January 1. They are usually seen flying in grid-like formation in groups of six to 10 between the times of dusk and 10 p.m. According to voices around the community, the most alarming aspect is how little is known about why they are out and who is controlling them.
Many organizations have been contacted in hopes of finding answers, but they all say they don’t have any information on the drones. These organizations include the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Air Force and the Army Forces Command.
Just like with all other unknown activities, there are many rumors about what motive the drones have. Some people speculate that private companies are using them to look for oil or natural gas resources while others think it could just be a trial run for a large drone show at an event.
As all of these theories unravel, a few students at Hastings High have started trying to spot the drones for themselves out of curiosity.
Senior Hailey Haase decided to go drone chasing when she heard of a sighting of them by Juniata and then later another closer to the other side of Hastings.
“We went out on the bypass road towards the Nebraska National Guard training center. Once we were right next to the fence lining the field, we saw them about 100 feet above us,” Haase said.
Haase was curious to see if her uncle, a member of the chain of command at the facility, or her dad, a local police officer, knew anything about them.
“My uncle said they weren’t being controlled by anybody from the facility and he started making calls to the head of the National Guard while my dad was getting calls from a lady involved in the FAA. From everything they’ve gathered, it appears they are out there mapping out the area,” Haase said.
Whatever the case may be, it is understood that the drones are flying high enough through airspace controlled by the federal government to not be trespassing on people’s private properties. This also means that shooting down or harming these drones is a federal offense, so make sure to keep that in mind when drone chasing!
