FBI SPY PLANES OVER U.S. TRACK CITIZENS

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND OTHER NEWS AGENCIES BEGAN LAST MONTH REVEALING DETAILS OF THE FBI'S FLEET OF SMALL, LOW-FLYING PILOTED AIRCRAFT OVER AMERICA.

THE PLANES ARE EQUIPPED WITH CAMERAS, THE ABILITY TO LOCK ON TO CELLPHONES, WHETHER IN USE OR NOT, AND ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HIGH DEFINITION VIDEO.  

"Evolving technology can record higher-quality video from long distances, even at night."

THEY'VE BEEN 'UP THERE' SINCE AT LEAST THE 1980s.  

PBS NEWSHOUR REPORTED ON AP'S FINDINGS ON JUNE 2, 2015.

The AP traced at least 50 aircraft back to the FBI, and identified more than 100 flights in 11 states over a 30-day period since late April, orbiting both major cities and rural areas. 
At least 115 planes, including 90 Cessna aircraft, were mentioned in a federal budget document from 2009. 

The agency will not say how many planes are currently in its fleet.

The FBI confirmed for the first time the wide-scale use of the aircraft, which the AP traced to at least 13 fake companies, such as FVX Research, KQM Aviation, NBR Aviation and PXW Services.

The front companies are used to protect the safety of the pilots, the agency said. That setup also shields the identity of the aircraft so that suspects on the ground don’t know they’re being followed.

FBI NOT ALONE IN AMERICAN SKIES

The FBI is not the only federal law enforcement agency to take such measures.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has its own planes, also registered to fake companies, according to a 2011 Justice Department inspector general report. 
At the time, the DEA had 92 aircraft in its fleet. 

And since 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service has operated an aerial surveillance program with its own fleet equipped with technology that can capture data from thousands of cellphones, the Wall Street Journal reported last year.

NOT YOUR GRANDPARENTS' SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT

The planes are equipped with technology that can capture video of unrelated criminal activity on the ground that could be handed over to prosecutions. 

One of the planes, photographed in flight last week by the AP in northern Virginia, bristled with unusual antennas under its fuselage and a camera on its left side.  

Some of the aircraft can also be equipped with technology that can identify thousands of people below through the cellphones they carry, even if they’re not making a call or in public. Officials said that practice, which mimics cell towers and gets phones to reveal basic subscriber information, is used in only limited situations.

“These are not your grandparents’ surveillance aircraft,” said Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union. Stanley said the flights are significant “if the federal government is maintaining a fleet of aircraft whose purpose is to circle over American cities, especially with the technology we know can be attached to those aircraft.”

NOT ONLY THAT, THE FBI ONLY RECENTLY BEGAN GOING THROUGH THE COURTS TO OBTAIN PERMISSION FOR THIS TYPE OF SURVEILLANCE. 

The surveillance equipment is used for ongoing investigations, the FBI says, generally without a judge’s approval.

The FBI has recently begun obtaining court orders to use this technology. 

Previously, the Obama administration had been directing local authorities, through secret agreements, not to reveal their own use of the devices, even encouraging prosecutors to drop cases rather than disclose the technology’s use in open court.

The Justice Department recently published a privacy policy for its agencies’ use of drones and unmanned aircraft systems. 

But that policy does not apply to piloted aircraft. 

An FBI spokesman said the FBI’s flights comply with agency rules.

Those rules, which are heavily redacted in publicly available documents, limit the types of equipment the agency can use, as well as the justifications and duration of the surveillance.

OBVIOUSLY, THE FBI ISN'T 'BIG' ON RULES.
IT'S GOOD TO BE 'ABOVE THE LAW', YES?

“It’s important that federal law enforcement personnel have the tools they need to find and catch criminals,” said Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “But whenever an operation may also monitor the activities of Americans who are not the intended target, we must make darn sure that safeguards are in place to protect the civil liberties of innocent Americans.”

RIGHT...WE'LL WAIT TO SEE WHAT CONGRESS DOES TO PROTECT THE GENERAL PUBLIC... AND ABOUT THAT SAME TIME THERE WILL BE ICE RINKS AND BOBSLED RACING IN THE NETHERWORLD.
DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH, FELLOW CITIZENS. 

During the past few weeks, the AP tracked planes from the FBI’s fleet on more than 100 flights over at least 11 states plus the District of Columbia, most with Cessna 182T Skylane aircraft. These included parts of Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Seattle and Southern California.

Some flights orbited large, enclosed buildings for extended periods where aerial photography would be less effective than electronic signals collection. 

Those included above Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota.

After The Washington Post revealed flights by two planes circling over Baltimore in early May, the AP began analyzing detailed flight data and aircraft-ownership registrations that shared similar addresses and flight patterns. 

That review found that some FBI missions circled above at least 40,000 residents during a single flight over Anaheim, California, in late May, according to Census data and records provided by the website FlightRadar24.com.

SMILE FOR THE CAMERAS, FOLKS!

AS THE WASHINGTON POST REPORTED (AND THERE'S A SHORT VIDEO OF OUR WATCHERS THERE):      
Aerial surveillance represents a changing frontier for law enforcement, providing what the government maintains is an important tool for investigations.
But the program raises questions as new technologies pose intrusive opportunities for government spying.

<GASP!> NO, REALLY, GUYS, YOU THINK?
OUR BELOVED GOVERNMENT SPYING ON US LOWLY CITIZENS?
ONLY SINCE 1777!       

"The FBI does not generally obtain warrants to record video of people moving outside in the open. "

ALL WHO ARE SURPRISED BY THAT STATEMENT, WIGGLE YOUR EARS.

IDENTIFYING FLIGHT PATTERNS      

Most flight patterns occurred in counter-clockwise orbits up to several miles wide and roughly one mile above the ground at slow speeds. A 2003 newsletter from the company FLIR Systems Inc., which makes camera technology such as seen on the planes, described flying slowly in left-handed patterns.

TAXPAYERS WILL PAY FOR NEW NAMES FOR FAKE COMPANIES 

The FBI asked the AP not to disclose the names of the fake companies it uncovered, saying that would saddle taxpayers with the expense of creating new cover companies to shield the government’s involvement, and could endanger the planes and integrity of the surveillance missions. 

The AP declined the FBI’s request because the companies’ names — as well as common addresses linked to the Justice Department — are listed on public documents and in government databases.

Law enforcement officials said Justice Department lawyers approved the decision to create fictitious companies and that the Federal Aviation Administration was aware of the practice. The FBI has been doing this since at least the late 1980s, according to a 1990 report by the then-General Accounting Office.

WE ALSO HAVE "WATCHFUL" DRONES OVERHEAD

AS IF IT ISN'T COMFORT ENOUGH FOR THOSE WHO CONSIDER THIS "NATIONAL SECURITY" (THE TEA ROOM CONSIDERS IT CRIMINAL, BTW) AND FEEL ALL SAFE, WARM AND FUZZY KNOWING THERE ARE GUYS IN SMALL PLANES BUZZING ABOUT ABOVE US, WE HAVE DRONE SURVEILLANCE NOW AS WELL.
YAY TEAM, RIGHT?
GOOD OLD "HOMELAND SECURITY" FOR US!

REMEMBER WHEN DRONES WERE FIRST DISCUSSED AND WE WERE TOLD THEY WOULD NOT EVER BE USED TO SPY ON THE AMERICAN PEOPLE?
THEY LIED.
GIRD UP YOUR LOINS, CADETS, WE'RE IN FOR A 'BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING' LIFESTYLE!       

"Details about the [PILOTED] flights come as the Justice Department seeks to navigate privacy concerns arising from aerial surveillance by unmanned aircrafts, or drones."

"The drone debate usually centers around U.S. use of the unmanned aircraft in other countries, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, to target terrorists. 
But how are drones used in the United States and how far are we from miniature helicopters flying up to our windows and peeking in?"

WAIT FOR IT... THIS IS A GOOD ONE...   

"The technology for such drones currently exists, but other factors come into play, including the costs of operating the flying machines and the public’s acceptance of their use."

PARDON ME, BUT THE HELL IT DOES!
IT DOESN'T MATTER ONE WHIT IF THE PUBLIC ACCEPTS IT OR NOT, IT'S ALREADY BEING DONE AND HAS BEEN DONE FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW!

IN 2013 THE FBI HAD TO ADMIT IT WAS USING DRONES FOR SURVEILLANCE OVER AMERICAN SKIES, ADMITTED IT TO CONGRESS!
[CLICK HERE FOR THAT ARTICLE]

"Drones can fly for long durations and in inhospitable environments. 
They can fly into a hurricane to measure its force, or into a disaster area like the one left behind after the meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan triggered by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The FAA issues “certificates of authorization” to public entities, such as NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other federal agencies, police departments and universities. 

Eighty-one public entities have applied for the special certification, according to FAA records obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. 
(See the list or find the applicants on a map.)

The Department of Homeland Security flies Predators, which are about the size of a Cessna airplane, back and forth along the U.S. border to monitor for people crossing illegally.

For fighting wildfires, NASA and the Forest Service tested using a Predator to find and map forest fires in California.

Universities have drone programs, not just to learn how to build and maintain them, but also to train on their various uses.

Some police departments are testing them for uses such as photographing accident sites and finding criminal suspects.      

OBVIOUSLY, WE'VE HAD A PROBLEM WITH DRONES OVERHEAD SINCE AT LEAST 2001.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) raised some red flags over the use of drones in a December 2011 report. 
The group expressed concerns over the potential invasion of privacy and about “mission creep” — things like drones being used to fire tear gas at protesters.  

AND WHAT BECAME OF THAT?
NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
TEAR GAS WOULD BE THE LEAST OF OUR WORRIES IF THERE WERE EVER 'CIVIL UPRISINGS'.

"Surveillance drones or unmanned aerial systems (UASs) raise significant issues for privacy and civil liberties.

Drones are capable of highly advanced surveillance, and drones already in use by law enforcement can carry various types of equipment including live-feed video cameras, infrared cameras, heat sensors, and radar.

Some military versions can stay in the air for hours or days at a time, and their high-tech cameras can scan entire cities, or zoom in and read a milk carton from 60,000 feet.

Drone manufacturers even admit they are made to carry “less lethal” weapons such as tasers or rubber bullets.

[RUBBER, EH? RUBBER...RIGHT...]

Thanks to a provision in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, drones use in the United States is set to expand rapidly over the next few years. 
The Act includes provisions to make the licensing process easier and quicker for law enforcement, and by 2015, commercial entities will also be able to apply for a drone authorization."

O, TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY, YES?       
NO.       

I'M ALSO MORE THAN A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT THE MILITARY TRAINS DRONE OPERATORS IN AMERICAN SKIES.
WHAT CAN A REALLY LOUSY DRONE OPERATOR CAUSE...ACCIDENTS OF THE FATAL KIND?

64 U.S. DRONE BASES 
DRONE OPERATIONS ON AMERICAN SOIL,IN AMERICAN SKIES 

"Public Intelligence, a non-profit that advocates for free access to information, released a map of military UAV activities in the United States on Tuesday. Assembled from military sources — especially this little-known June 2011 Air Force presentation (.pdf) — it is arguably the most comprehensive map so far of the spread of the Pentagon’s unmanned fleet. 

What exact missions are performed at those locations, however, is not clear. Some bases might be used as remote cockpits to control the robotic aircraft overseas, some for drone pilot training. Others may also serve as imagery analysis depots.

The medium-size Shadow is used in 22 bases, the smaller Raven in 20 and the miniature Wasp in 11.

California and Texas lead the pack, with 10 and six sites, respectively, and there are also 22 planned locations for future bases.

“It is very likely that there are more domestic drone activities not included in the map, but it is designed to provide an approximate overview of the widespread nature of Department of Defense activities throughout the US,” said Michael Haynes from Public Intelligence."      

SWEET, YES?

THE WASHINGTON POST HAS DONE A FEW ARTICLES ON THE ESCALATING NUMBER OF DRONE CRASHES HERE IN AMERICA.
THERE ARE A FEW PHOTOS OF SAID CRASHES IN THIS ARTICLE<CLICK HERE>.

APRIL, 2014
"Shortly after the day’s final bell rang and hundreds of youngsters ran outside Lickdale Elementary School with their book bags and lunchboxes, a military drone fell from the sky.

The 375-pound Shadow reconnaissance drone skimmed the treetops as it hurtled toward the school in Jonestown, Pa. It barely missed the building, then cartwheeled through the butterfly garden and past the playground.       
The aircraft kept rolling like a tumbleweed and collided with a passing car on Fisher Avenue. People called 911. The rescue squad arrived in a hurry. 

Luckily, no one was hurt."

YEAH, "LUCKILY"... BUT WHAT ABOUT NEXT TIME? 

"Most U.S. military drone accidents have occurred abroad, but at least 49 large drones have crashed during test or training flights near domestic bases since 2001, according to a yearlong Washington Post investigation.

A 63-foot-long QF-4 target drone exploded into a fireball at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida last July 17, forcing authorities to close a nearby highway. 

A Global Hawk, the largest drone in the military’s fleet, crashed on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in June 2012. 

Two years earlier (2010), the military almost had to shoot down a runaway Navy drone after it penetrated some of the most guarded airspace in the country, over Washington, D.C.  


Thanks in part to a new federal law that will open the national airspace to drones of all kinds, the Pentagon is planning to operate thousands of drones from at least 110 bases in 39 states, plus Guam and Puerto Rico, by 2017."

DOES ANYONE ELSE WONDER WHY, WHY THE PENTAGON IS BRINGING BACK THESE REALLY LARGE DRONES THAT HAVE CARRIED OUT 'LETHAL MISSIONS' OVERSEAS AND FLYING THEM OVER OUR HEADS HERE IN AMERICA?

AM I ALONE IN RESENTING BEING OVERFLOWN BY ANY AND ALL SURVEILLANCE AIRCRAFT?   

WE HAVE STREET CAMERAS, BUILDING CAMERAS, ELECTRONIC TRACKING OF OUR AUTOMOBILE TAGS, OUR TOLL ROAD PASSES, OUR DRIVER LICENSE STRIPS, OUR CREDIT CARDS, OUR GROCERY STORE PURCHASES, WHAT WE READ AT THE LOCAL LIBRARY, WHO YOUR "FRIENDS" ARE ON FACEBOOK, WHAT WEBSITES WE VISIT, UNLIMITED VISITS TO OUR MEDICAL RECORDS BY WHATEVER FEDERAL AGENCY WOULD LIKE A PEEK, EVERY PRESCRIPTION WE'RE WRITTEN, ANY SURGICAL IMPLANTS WE MAY NEED, OUR CELLPHONES, LAND LINES, COMPUTERS, AND SOME TELEVISIONS ARE SO EASILY MONITORED IT'S LUDICROUS, AND YET WE NEED OVERHEAD SURVEILLANCE AS WELL?

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE... ONLY FOR THOSE WHO REFUSE TO RESIST.