FAA Issues Drone Flight Restrictions Over Certain Landmarks
Recently, U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies made a request of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The request? They asked the FAA to use its existing authority to address unauthorized drone operations over Department of Interior (DOI) sites.
The FAA’s authority comes from Title 14 of the existing Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) § 99.7 – “Special Security Instructions”.
High profile DOI sites
The FAA agreed with the request. As such, in cooperation with the DOI, the FAA now restricts drone flights up to 400 feet within the lateral boundaries of these sites:
- Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York, NY
- Boston National Historical Park (U.S.S. Constitution), Boston, MA
- Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PA
- Folsom Dam; Folsom, CA
- Glen Canyon Dam; Lake Powell, AZ
- Grand Coulee Dam; Grand Coulee, WA
- Hoover Dam; Boulder City, NV
- Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; St. Louis, MO
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial; Keystone, SD
- Shasta Dam; Shasta Lake, CA
Restrictions now in place
These new flight restrictions took effect October 5, 2017. As always, there are only a few exceptions that permit drone flights within these restrictions. Operators seeking exceptions must coordinate with the individual facility and/or the FAA.
The FAA’s online interactive map helps ensure the public is aware of the various restricted flight locations. Additionally, the link to these restrictions is included in the FAA’s B4UFLY mobile app. The B4UFLY app should update within the next 60 days to include the new restrictions. Additional information, including frequently asked questions, is available on the FAA’s UAS website.
Operators in violation of these airspace restrictions may be subject to enforcement action, including potential civil penalties and criminal charges.
This is the first time the agency placed airspace restrictions for unmanned aircraft, or “drones,” over DOI landmarks. The FAA placed similar airspace restrictions over military bases — which remain in place.
The FAA is considering additional requests from vaious federal agencies seeking restrictions using the FAA’s § 99.7 authority.
