Radar still tracks them if they cancel flight following, it just means ATC doesn’t have to provide them with traffic advisories or other guidance. Also there are loads of ADSB trackers (how flight aware works) that they would have to shut their transponder off to disable, which is not what sounds like happened.

The FCC doesn’t license network afaik, they license stations (eg nexstar) which pressured the network.

Lol I’m going to Houston for the first time tomorrow

Gotcha

Guns at events is something I associate with more rural or impoverished areas thats why I was asking

Where do you live??

Does anyone else feel like we’re seeing more military activity and that that activity is taking less precautions with regards to safely operating around civilian traffic?

They’re still contracted by the FAA and I believe have to follow the same standards. I don’t think that they’re a private company is the big issue here.

Ya it was military equipment that was not secured appropriately.