FAA establishes restrictions on drone operations over DOD facilities

Washington, D.C. — At the request of its Federal security partners, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations 99.7 Special Security Instructions to address concerns about drone operations over national security-sensitive facilities by establishing temporary flight restrictions specific to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

In cooperation with Department of Defense (DOD), the FAA is establishing additional restrictions on drone flights up to 400 feet within the lateral boundaries of the following federal facilities:

• National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) West near St. Louis
• NGA Next West near St. Louis
• NGA Arnold near St. Louis

These changes, which are highlighted by FAA NOTAM FDC 8/7350, are pending until they become effective on August 30, 2018. Note that there are only a few exceptions that permit drone flights within these restrictions, and they must be coordinated with the individual facility and/or the FAA.

Operators who violate the flight restrictions may be subject to enforcement action, including potential civil penalties and criminal charges.

Information on the FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), which defines these restrictions, and all of the currently covered locations, can be found at https://uas-faa.opendata.arcgis.com. To ensure the public is aware of these restricted locations, this FAA website also provides an interactive map, downloadable geospatial data, and other important details. These restrictions also are depicted in the FAA’s B4UFLY mobile app.

Additional, broader information regarding flying drones in the National Airspace System, including frequently asked questions, is available on the FAA’s UAS website (https://www.faa.gov/uas).

The FAA continues to consider additional requests by eligible Federal security agencies for UAS-specific flight restrictions using the Agency’s 99.7 authority as they are received. Additional changes to these restrictions will be announced by the FAA as appropriate.