FAA Issues a ‘No Drone Zone’ for Super Bowl XLIX

The FAA is establishing what’s called a temporary flight restriction that consists of several circles around the University of Phoenix stadium, where Sunday’s big game is going down.

The first has a 10-mile radius “in which general aviation aircraft, media, banner towers, blimps and unmanned aircraft will be prohibited.”

The second ring’s radius extends 30 miles from the stadium and prohibits all aircraft that don’t have a set flight plan, transponders on board, or two-way communication with air traffic control.

Drones of any shape or size won’t be allowed in either ring.

The FAA said in a directive issued this week:

“All unmanned aircraft operations – also known as drones – are prohibited within the restricted areas. These include model aircraft operations, model rocketry and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Anyone who operates an unmanned aircraft in the restricted area could face civil penalties or criminal charges.“

Actually, the agency slapped restrictions on drone flights in and near stadiums last October, though the rules for Sunday cover a much wider area and last a lot longer.

What the 30-mile ‘No Drone Zone’ radius looks like in Phoenix:

The FAA has also been laying down other rules regarding the recreational use of drones, though clearly not everyone takes notice. Despite a ban on drone flights over the whole of Washington, D.C., an inebriated government worker this week crashed his remotely operated flying machine onto the lawn of the White House no less, causing a security scare in the process.

Drone flight bans around all of the nation’s airports are occasionally violated, too, a situation the FAA is keen to get under control before some blockhead accidentally sends his airborne toy into the engine of a passenger plane.

The last time we heard about a quadcopter causing havoc at a professional sports event was in Europe last year when a quadcopter flew over an international soccer game between Serbia and Albania. The incident caused a mass brawl on the field that led to the fixture being abandoned, though admittedly the drone was carrying a political banner that served to stir up tensions between soccer players from two countries with a history of strained relations.

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