The FAA has issued a warning to operators of remotely piloted aircraft (RPA): Don’t even think about flying over the Super Bowl this Sunday to get your own view of the action.The agency notes that the Super Bowl is strictly a “No Drone Zone.”
The FAA bars unauthorized aircraft — including RPAs — from flying over or near NFL regular- and post-season football games. The same restriction applies to NCAA college games in stadiums seating 30,000 or more fans, Major League Baseball games and many NASCAR events.
From an FAA release: “The FAA Notice to Airmen makes it crystal clear that anyone violating the rules may be ‘intercepted, detained and interviewed’ by law enforcement or security personnel. Besides possibly landing a violator in jail, flying an unmanned aircraft over a crowded stadium could result in an FAA civil penalty for careless and reckless operation of an aircraft.”
“Bottom line,” agency officials say, “if you want to see video of the Big Game, watch it on TV. Leave your drone at home.”
This publicaton’s insistance on using the term “Remotely Piloted” can only be entertaining to themselves and is a disservice to the public they serve. First it is not the term used by the FAA. More importantly it is not the technology most likely to be at issue. Autonomous unpiloted flight is very much at issue, and seems to be removed from the discussion by the pride of authorship in this otherwise unsed term.