The Federal Aviation Administration has banned drones at the Super Bowl and will also enforce a 30-nautical-mile-radius no-fly zone over the event. The agency says, “Bottom line: If you want to see video of the Big Game, watch it on TV. Leave your drone at home.”
In a notice to airmen, the FAA makes it clear that anyone who disobeys the no-fly plan can be “intercepted, detained and interviewed by Law Enforcement/Security Personnel.” The FAA also says that violators could end up in jail. Alternatively, the agency can impose fines, bring federal charges, or “use deadly force against the airborne aircraft, if it is determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat.”
Of course, no such force was used on the drone that a drunk National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency employee flew onto the grounds of the White House. But the Super Bowl is pretty important, so who knows what could happen there.
An FAA spokesperson told Gizmodo in an email:
The flight restrictions over major sporting events were imposed by Congress in legislation passed after the 9/11 attacks. The FAA’s Superbowl [Temporary Flight Restriction] implements that mandate. There are also federal rules passed after 9/11 that prohibit unmanned aircraft and model aircraft in Washington, DC.
The FAA may not be able to spot every little quadcopter near the White House, but bringing one to the Super Bowl could “spoil the game.” So leave your drone at home, brah.
Map by the FAA
