Area Around NRG Stadium Is A No Drone Zone For The Super Bowl

One of the things new drone operators have to learn about very quickly is the concept of a Temporary Flight Restriction, which we have known for years as a TFR. They can come and go quickly, and violating a TFR can carry serious consequences, even if you stray into one unintentionally.

Pilots of manned airplanes know that violating a TFR can often prompt the sight of an F-16 flying off your wing. In extreme cases, the government is authorized to shoot down an airplane that is operating in one of its temporary restricted zones.

For drone operators, the threat to life and limb is maybe not so immediate, but as Jonathan Rupprecht of the Rupprecht Law Firm points out, there can still be serious consequences.

In an article posted on his blog, Rupprecht reminds drone operators that if you knowingly or willfully violate a TFR, you can face some serious consequences ... up to a year in federal prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000.

Yes, they're serious.

If you accidentally stray into a TFR, you could receive an FAA order suspending or revoking your Part 61 pilot certificate or your Part 107 remote pilot certificate. The FAA order directed to FAA enforcement teams recommends a “30- to 90-day suspension” for a simple TFR violation. Keep in mind that if you did a bunch of other violations, these numbers will be higher or you’ll be getting a certificate revocation.

Where can you find out about TRF's? They're posted in what is known as a "Notice to Airman" ... or NOTAM in the nomenclature. It's a website with which anyone operating in the national airspace should become very familiar.

And by the way, the area around NRG Stadium in Houston will be under such a TFR for the Super Bowl on Sunday.

(Image from file)

FMI: Full Article, NOTAMS