Over the weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration officially designated the airspace above the Caesars Superdome as a “No Drone Zone” throughout and forward of the massive recreation. Drone operators who do fly their units into the restricted space, by accident or in any other case, might have their drones confiscated or obtain hefty fines as much as $75,000. The choice comes simply weeks after a hobbyist drone collided with a plane helping combat wildfires in California and amid an uptick in drone sightings across the nation.
Beginning at 1:30 p.m. CST on recreation day (Sunday, February 9) the FAA will prohibit drones from flying inside a 1.5 nautical miles radius and a couple of,000 toes in altitude of the Caesars Superdome. The restricted space area will broaden to a 30 nautical-mile radius and 18,000 toes in altitude between 4:30 and 10:30 p.m CST that very same day. There are additionally extra flight restrictions round Lafayette Sq. in downtown New Orleans occurring through the day all this week beginning Tuesday, February 4. The FAA additionally issued additional temporary flight restrictions across the New Orleans space for basic (non-drone) aviation pilots.
“On the request of the Division of Homeland Safety, the Federal Aviation Administration will set up airspace restrictions over Tremendous Bowl LIX, to be performed February 9, 2025, on the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA,” the FAA wrote in a flight advisory. An FAA spokesperson instructed Widespread Science they anticipate practically 7,000 non-drone aerial takeoffs and landings and 600 plane parked at native airports throughout Tremendous Bowl week.
“The FAA is working with regulation enforcement, the aviation neighborhood and the Nationwide Soccer League to make sure protected, safe and environment friendly plane operations for Tremendous Bowl LIX,” the FAA spokesperson mentioned. “Pilots flying close to New Orleans from Feb. 6-11, 2025, should concentrate on momentary flight restrictions, comply with particular air site visitors procedures and adjust to extra operational necessities that will likely be in impact for Tremendous Bowl LIX.”
Unauthorized drones flying in restricted areas may cause main disruptions. In 2023, a nationally televised Ohio State-Maryland school soccer recreation was quickly suspended after a drone was noticed flying overhead gamers. Extra just lately, a referee called a rare “administrative timeout” with five minutes remaining within the third quarter of the Ravens-Steelers playoff recreation after a drone was visibly noticed within the space. The delay sparked an ongoing law enforcement investigation. These aren’t remoted incidents. The Nationwide Soccer League (NFL) says it has reported a staggering 20,000% increase in unauthorized drone exercise throughout video games between 2017 and 2023. In some instances, like final yr’s Summer time Olympics, some groups have even been accused of using drones to spy on their opponents.
These drones can even current potential safety dangers. Homeland Safety and Governmental Affairs Committee chair and Michigan senator Gary Peters previously told NBC News he was involved about the potential of a terrorist or different dangerous actor utilizing a drone to drop a dwell grenade onto attendees from overhead. Whereas which may sound excessive, DHS and FBI brokers are worried enough about these concerns that they’ve despatched “counter-drone” groups armed with jamming applied sciences to main sporting occasions just like the World Sequence. However there’s an urge for food for much more motion. Officers from the NFL urged US lawmakers late final yr to fast-track laws that might broaden the US authorities’s authority to intervene and destroy drones over stadiums. That invoice was in the end rejected however could possibly be reintroduced this yr.
The FAA additionally repeatedly points momentary drone flight restrictions throughout pure disasters in an effort to scale back potential collisions with first responder plane. Individuals who break these guidelines may cause actual injury. Simply final month the Los Angeles County Hearth Division was pressured to floor a “SuperScooper” firefighting plane after it collided with a consumer-grade hobbyist drone. The drone pilot, who reportedly co-founded one of the game developers behind the Call of Duty franchise, pleaded guilty to 1 rely of unsafe operation of an unmanned plane final week. As a part of that plea deal, the pilot agreed to pay full restitution to the Authorities of Quebec, which equipped the airplane, in addition to an organization that repaired it. He additionally agreed to finish 150 hours of neighborhood service. Hobbyist drones flying in unauthorized airspaces additionally contributed to an uptick in mid-air close-call events throughout Hurricane Helene rescue efforts. A part of the reason for this obvious rise in drone sightings and interference is because of the truth that high-quality, consumer-grade units are merely cheaper and simpler to entry than ever earlier than. The FAA estimates the total number of recreational drones within the US might attain 1.82 million by 2027. And whereas leisure drone operators are technically required to complete a UAS Safety Test with particulars about restricted areas, many drone hobbyists inevitably find yourself flying with no certification.
The PopSci crew has examined tons of of merchandise and spent hundreds of hours looking for the perfect gear and devices you should buy.
Drones can disrupt video games and pose security dangers
Extra offers, critiques, and shopping for guides