SOLVED: Low-Flying Planes Rattle Homeowners in Dutchess County, NY

A mysterious swarm of low-flying aircraft spotted in formation over neighborhoods in Dutchess County, New York sent many to social media looking for answers.

According to reports from residents, the loud planes began appearing in the skies on Friday and were seen over Wappingers Falls, Fishkill, Poughkeepsie, Hyde Park as well as several other Dutchess County communities. Over the weekend, the sightings increased, and so did the number of planes that were seen flying together in formation.

At one point, there were seven of these planes roaring through the skies over Wappingers Falls.

In the past, when unusual aircraft were scheduled to be in the area, the public would receive some sort of warning. However, we found no announcements from local officials about the constant plane activity this weekend. With no air show scheduled anywhere near the Hudson Valley and a lack of information from local municipalities, some residents became concerned, or at least very curious, about what was going on.

Unusual Plane Activity in Dutchess County Explained

While we were unable to get any information about the aircraft activity from local authorities, an employee at the Dutchess County Airport pointed us in the direction of the Tunison Foundation.

The non-profit organization describes itself as a "flying museum" that is dedicated to preserving classic World War II planes by restoring them and putting them back into the air. The Tunison Foundation has its headquarters at the Hudson Valley Regional Airport in Wappingers Falls.

According to the foundation's website, the group was hosting a "formation clinic" in association with the National Air Transportation Association from September 25 through September 28. This would explain the close flying planes that were seen over Dutchess County on Friday and Saturday.

While we couldn't find any state regulations that require groups such as the Tunison Foundation to alert residents about unusually loud or frequent aircraft activity, it is something that is usually done as a courtesy to those living in the area.

I'm sure the many residents who took to social media this weekend, unsuccessfully looking for answers as to what was going on, would have appreciated the heads-up. If for nothing else, it would have given them an opportunity to plan for the cool show that was happening overhead instead of spending their weekend combing social media, wondering what was happening.