The FAA has essentially created roving TFRs for drones around “mobile assets” of government organizations involved in what it considers national security operations anywhere in the country. A NOTAM was issued last week that prohibits flying drones within 3,000 feet laterally and 1,000 feet above any government “mobile asset” including ground convoys and ships. The no-drone zone is considered National Defense Airspace and it literally follows the cars, trucks, and boats involved. Government entities whose vehicles are protected by the TFR are the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and Department of Homeland Security. Anyone tempted to test the FAA’s resolve should be prepared to get the book thrown at them.
Those who bust the TFRs face revocation of their drone certificates and “interference, interception, seizure, damaging or destruction of unmanned aircraft deemed to pose a credible safety or security threat” to the people, vehicles, or buildings involved in those operations. Civil penalties are also available as punishment. There is no time limit listed for the NOTAM. There also may not be any advance notice given the fluid nature of such operations so staying out of the moving bubble is largely up to drone operators. “Implementing advanced special security instructions or other airspace measures may not be feasible for all covered assets and mobile asset operations,” the NOTAM warns. “UAS operators should therefore exercise caution when flying in proximity of all DOD, DHS, DOJ, and DOE facilities and mobile assets and USCG (boats).
I wonder how drone operators would be able to tell that the unmarked pickup they just flew over was a DHS mobile asset.
This threatens legal, professional drone operators.
“There also may not be any advance notice… so staying out of the moving bubble is largely up to drone operators.”
A drone operator conducting legal, owner-approved surveys of private property, when an unannounced “ground convoy” drives by half a mile away, would be in violation of the TFR.
Exactly. I can think of a bunch of situations where this could go all kinds of wrong.
And I’m also concerned by the precedent this sets, of unannounced, unmarked, moving, no-notice TFRs that can pop up anywhere at any time and you get punished. How long till those “dangerous little airplanes” get included in the restrictions?
Should be done for all: autos, trucks, boats, and aircraft. 3000 feet laterally and 1000 feet vertically away from all listed for all drones to stay away.
TFR’s, always moving, seldom any advanced notice, with cylinders 6,000ft in diameter and 1,000 feet tall declared a no fly zone, introduced through some aviation media with strong threats of retribution against pilot certificates and/or civil penalties, especially if our DOD, DOJ, DHS,DOE, and the USCG has any inkling that TFR violation was intentional, let alone accidental. And all of this under the banner of these highly overused two words, ubiquitous in the USA, “national security”.
I live 2 miles from my home airport, whose airport boundaries are just south of a major N/S four lane highway, making any pattern determined by southern prevailing winds a no fly zone if the local national guard located at the north end within the airport boundary is on duty, and/or marked or unmarked govmit vehicles are on the highway. We have two hospitals with heliports which are heavily utilized here in the Ozarks, located one mile from the airport, on the major N/S highway, plus commuter air service provided by Southern Airways Express. With the introductionary threats by the FAA for intentional TFR violations by drones, hobbyist or commercial, trying to land on 18 by full size aircraft will be met by “Anyone tempted to test the FAA’s resolve should be prepared to get the book thrown at them.” Taking off and landing my Bonanza are always intentional.
These new TFR’s are no fly zones for the population and become heavily flown drone zones for our considerably expanding, well armed, surveillance state. Kinda like a cylinder shaped roving, armed camera that we have to anticipate its next move… or else! And once again, we had NO VOTE in this.
These TFR’s are yet another avenue of abuse of the US population designed to add confusion, create chaos, the loss of freedom, getting us more accustom to military presence and corresponding fear that presence creates. And TFR enforcement duties???…take a look at any major US city… today Minneapolis, for the answer.