Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

  • Reviews
  • Recommended Cameras & Gear
  • Learn Photography
  • Contact
  • About
  • Subscribe

FAA Restricts Drones over Statue of Liberty, Other Landmarks

September 30, 2017 By Eric Reagan

The FAA has issued new restrictions on flying drones around certain US landmarks. See the full statement below.

“At the request of U.S. national security and law enforcement agencies, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is using its existing authority under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) § 99.7 – “Special Security Instructions” – to address concerns about unauthorized drone operations over 10 Department of the Interior (DOI) sites, including the Statue of Liberty and Mount Rushmore.

The FAA and DOI have agreed to restrict drone flights up to 400 feet within the lateral boundaries of these sites:

  • Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York, NY
  • Boston National Historical Park (U.S.S. Constitution), Boston, MA
  • Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, PA
  • Folsom Dam; Folsom, CA
  • Glen Canyon Dam; Lake Powell, AZ
  • Grand Coulee Dam; Grand Coulee, WA
  • Hoover Dam; Boulder City, NV
  • Jefferson National Expansion Memorial; St. Louis, MO
  • Mount Rushmore National Memorial; Keystone, SD
  • Shasta Dam; Shasta Lake, CA

The restrictions will be effective October 5, 2017. There are only a few exceptions that permit drone flights within these restrictions, and they must be coordinated with the individual facility and/or the FAA.

To ensure the public is aware of these restricted locations, the FAA has created an interactive map online. The link to these restrictions is also included in the FAA’s B4UFLY mobile app. The app will be updated within 60 days to reflect these airspace restrictions. Additional information, including frequently asked questions, is available on the FAA’s UAS website.

Operators who violate the airspace restrictions may be subject to enforcement action, including potential civil penalties and criminal charges.

This is the first time the agency has placed airspace restrictions for unmanned aircraft, or “drones,” over DOI landmarks. The FAA has placed similar airspace restrictions over military bases that currently remain in place.

The FAA is considering additional requests from other federal agencies for restrictions using the FAA’s § 99.7 authority as they are received.”

Filed Under: Drones, Legal Tagged With: drones, FAA, law, Legal

 

Comments

  1. Greg says

    September 30, 2017 at 12:49 pm

    As wonderful as it is to see the amazing, only-from-above footage a drone can give, four hundred feet llikely won’t seem enough from the point-of-view of visitors who don’t want their experience dampened by that same drone(s) operation. That’s why drone operators must police themselves, staying acutely aware of others’ rights to enjoy this world.

Support Photography Bay


Recent Posts

  • Reader Photos Roundup: March 26, 2023
  • WD 22TB External USB 3.0 Hard Drive Now In Stock
  • Reader Photos Roundup: March 19, 2023
  • Computational Photography & AI: Where Do We Go From Here?
  • Reader Photos Roundup: January 15, 2023

Pages

  • 2022 Black Friday Camera and Photo Deals
  • About
  • Camera and Photo Deals Newsletter
  • Canon 1D X
  • Canon 1Ds Mark IV
  • Canon 5D Mark III
  • Canon Rebel T4i
  • Contact
  • Disclosures
  • DSLRs
  • How to Subscribe
  • Learn Photography
  • NAB 2016 Live Blog
  • Nikon D4
  • Nikon D800
  • Photography Laws
  • Recommended Cameras & Accessories
  • Reviews
  • Sony Alpha A77

Copyright © 2023 | Photography Bay