What’s really flying over New Jersey — hobby drones, advanced tech, or something we can’t explain?

In this Close Encounter Club bonus episode, host Justin Gearheart speaks with Retired Air Force Major Ben Hewitt, a veteran aviator and former air battle manager with over 20 years of global military experience operating the E-3 AWACS surveillance platform. Ben has tracked drug runners in South America, coordinated missions in the Middle East, and overseen radar operations capable of detecting objects across hundreds of miles. Now, he shares his perspective on the mysterious “drone swarms” spotted in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and beyond.

This raw, unfiltered conversation dives into how radar really works, what counts as a legitimate unknown, and why some sightings can’t be explained away as planes, satellites, or hobby drones. Ben also reflects on the stigma aviators faced when reporting anomalies, the cultural shift since 2017, and the eerie sense that we’re being “warmed up” for a larger revelation.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Ben’s military training shaped his view of UFOs, why the official explanations for the New Jersey sightings don’t add up, and how both government responses and public videos paint two very different pictures of what’s in our skies. The conversation expands to UFO whistleblowers, quantum computing, simulation theory, and whether humanity is brushing against a great filter moment in its evolution.

This isn’t a polished interview — it’s a candid talk with someone who’s seen the world from a radar screen and knows the difference between noise and something truly anomalous.

👉 Follow the Close Encounter Club, share this bonus episode with a fellow seeker, and explore more at our Linktree.