Drones Restricted at the Capital Area and during Crowded Events

Drones Restricted at the Capital Area and during Crowded Events

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Drones are a source of concern for US authorities during heavily crowded events as well as during daily activities in Washington DC.

Toward the opening of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Cleveland and its surrounding communities were declared a “No Drone Zone” under flight restrictions the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has put in place from between 17-22 July. The prohibited area is a circle of airspace 30 nautical miles in radius around the Quicken Loans Arena.

According to UASVision, flying a drone anywhere in the prohibited area during the Republican Convention is against the law. Violating the airspace may result in criminal or civil charges. The restriction applies to all unmanned aircraft, including radio-controlled model aircraft.

In addition to the drone restrictions, there are also airspace restrictions for traditional manned aircraft during the convention within the 30 nautical mile radius ring and within two even more restricted rings of airspace within a three-mile radius and a 10-mile radius of the arena.

In fact, restrictions are the routine at the US capital. The airspace around Washington, D.C. is more restricted than in any other part of the country. Rules put in place after the 9/11 attacks establish “national defense airspace” over the area and limit aircraft operations to those with an FAA and Transportation Security Administration authorization. Violators face stiff fines and criminal penalties.

The area is governed by a Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) within a 30-mile radius of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which restricts all flights in the greater DC area.

According to the FAA website, the SFRA is divided into a 15-mile radius inner ring and a 30-mile radius outerring.

Flying an unmanned aircraft within the 15-mile radius inner ring is prohibited without specific FAA authorization; Flying a UAS for recreational or non-recreational use between 15 and 30 miles from Washington, D.C. is allowed under strict operating conditions:  aircraft must weigh less than 55 lbs. (including any attachments such as a camera), aircraft must be registered and marked, fly below 400 ft., fly within visual line-of-sight, fly in clear weather conditions, and never fly near other aircraft.