The FAA has declared a “no drone zone” in and around the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, home over Super Bowl LIII on February 3. The limit restricts any drone from flying within one nautical mile of the stadium below 1,000 feet, starting January 31st. The night of the game, the restriction extends to 30 nautical miles of the stadium with a ceiling of 18,000 feet. In the past years, drones have caused severe security worries; in one instance, a conspiracy theorist dropped leaflets from a drone over an NFL game in California. In another incident, somebody crash-landed a drone into the bleachers at a MLB game. And in across the Atlantic in Serbia, a drone dangling an Albanian nationalist banner sparked a riot and forced the game to be abandoned. Beyond sporting events, drones have been used by assassins and terrorist to deliver explosive payloads. The NFL has recently supported a senate bill that would allow the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to conduct more counter drone actions. The bill was not put to vote and it is unknown whether it will see a return in 2019.
Source: FAA Declares the Super Bowl a ‘No Drone Zone’ – Nextgov
