General agitation and excitement are intensifying lately as everyone’s catching the Super Bowl fever. The Big Game is almost upon us, and preparations are being made by those in charge with everything going smoothly. One of them is to designate the Los Angeles area a “no drone zone” and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) is dead serious about that, threatening to severely punish those thinking about breaking the rules.
As every American probably knows by now, this year’s edition of the Super Bowl will take place on February 13, at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It is why the entire area has been declared by the FAA a “no drone zone”, with a temporary flight restriction (TFR) going into effect on that specific day, from 2:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PST (Pacific Standard Time). During this interval, drones are prohibited up to 18,000 ft (5,486 m) in altitude on a 30-nautical-mile (around 55 km) radius of the stadium.
Moreover, drones are not allowed to fly for one nautical mile (1.8 km) and up to 30,000 ft (9,144 m) in altitude around the stadium on February 13 from 10 a.m. and until the TFR for the game takes effect.
All reasonable, except for the fact that the Federal Aviation Administration went a little overboard with the 30-nautical-mile radius, which irritated a lot of people. The FAA even posted a video on social media to make its intentions as clear as possible, but viewers are not taking the news well.
The general consensus is that the 30-mile radius is a bit of a stretch, to say the least, with the internet commenting that 10 miles or even one mile should be the standard for these types of entertainment events. Some even go so far as to call this decision an overkill and the “biggest fraud of the year”, wondering why these restrictions don’t apply to all open sporting events, nationwide.
But the FAA is relentless and informs operators that violating this regulation can lead to $30,000 in civil penalties, drone confiscation, and potential criminal prosecution. More information on the airspace restrictions can be found here.
Cristina’s always found writing more comfortable to do than speaking, which is why she chose print over broadcast media in college. When she’s not typing, she also loves riding non-motorized two-wheelers, going on hikes with her dog, and rocking her electric guitars. Full profile
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