The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) airspace restrictions over additional national security sensitive locations.
In cooperation with its federal partners, the FAA will restrict UAS operations in the airspace over two locations. The first facility is Rock Island Arsenal located between Davenport, Iowa and Rocks Island, Illinois. The second facility is the Biometric Technology Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Restrictions on these Department of Defense facilities are to address concerns about drone activity over security sensitive facilities.
Information on the FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), FDC 0/5116, can be found on the FAA’s UAS Data Delivery System (UDDS) website. UAS operators are strongly advised to review these NOTAMs. The UDDS website also features an interactive map displaying restricted airspace throughout the U.S. Zooming in will enable viewers to click on the new DOD locations and see the specific restrictions. The restrictions will also be included in the FAA’s B4UFLY mobile app.
UAS operators who violate these flight restrictions may be subject to enforcement action, including potential civil penalties and criminal charges.
The FAA considers requests by eligible federal security agencies for UAS-specific flight restrictions using its authority under 14 CFR § 99.7. The agency will announce any future changes, including additional locations, as appropriate.
Read the announcement at the FAA
