FAA Restricts More UAS Operations at Federal Facilities

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) airspace restrictions over additional national security sensitive locations, effective November 7.

In cooperation with its federal partners, the FAA will restrict UAS operations in the airspace over 60 additional Department of Defense and Department of Justice facilities to address concerns about malicious drone activity. An FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), FDC 9/7752, defines these special security instructions. The FAA has published a new NOTAM, FDC 9/1278, which alerts UAS operators and others in the aviation community to this change and points to FDC 9/7752.

UAS operators are strongly advised to review these NOTAMs, as well as important supporting information provided by the FAA’s UAS Data Delivery System (UDDS) website. This website contains the text of FDC 9/7752 (click on “UAS NOTAM FDC 9/7752” on scroll bar along the top of the page).

Further down the page is an interactive map (“Map of FAA UAS Data”) displaying restricted airspace throughout the U.S. Zooming in will enable viewers to click on each of the 60 new DOD and DOJ locations and see the specific restrictions. Each of the 60 locations are in yellow since the restrictions are pending until the Nov. 7 effective date, at which point they will become red.

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.

The 60 locations:

Federal Correctional Institution Aliceville in Aliceville, Alabama

Federal Correctional Institution Ashland in Ashland, Kentucky

Federal Correctional Institution Bastrop in Bastrop, Texas

Federal Correctional Institution Beckley in Beaver, West Virginia

Federal Correctional Institution Bennetsville in Bennetsville, South Carolina

Federal Correctional Institution Berlin in Berlin, New Hampshire

Federal Correctional Institution Big Spring in Big Spring, Texas

Federal Correctional Institution Cumberland in Cumberland, Maryland

Federal Correctional Institution Danbury in Danbury, Connecticut

Federal Correctional Institution Dublin in Dublin, California

Federal Correctional Institution Edgefield in Edgefield, South Carolina

Federal Correctional Institution El Reno in El Reno, Oklahoma

Federal Correctional Institution Elkton in Lisbon, Ohio

Federal Correctional Institution Englewood in Littleton, Colorado

Federal Correctional Institution Estill in Estill, South Carolina

Federal Correctional Institution Fairton in Fairton, New Jersey

Federal Correctional Institution Gilmer in Glenville, West Virginia

Federal Correctional Institution Greenville in Greenville, Illinois

Federal Correctional Institution Herlong in Herlong, California

Federal Correctional Institution Jesup in Jesup, Georgia

Federal Correctional Institution La Tuna in Anthony, Texas

Federal Correctional Institution Loretto in Loretto, Pennsylvania

Federal Correctional Institution Lompoc in Lompoc, California

Federal Correctional Institution Manchester in Manchester, Kentucky

Federal Correctional Institution Marianna in Marianna, Florida

Federal Correctional Institution McDowell in Welch, West Virginia

Federal Correctional Institution McKean in Lewis Run, Pennsylvania

Federal Correctional Institution Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee

Federal Correctional Institution Mendota in Mendota, California

Federal Correctional Institution Miami in Miami, Florida

Federal Correctional Institution Milan in Milan, Michigan

Federal Correctional Institution Morgantown in Morgantown, West Virginia

Federal Correctional Institution Otisville in Otisville, New York

Federal Correctional Institution Oxford in Oxford, Wisconsin

Federal Correctional Institution Pekin in Pekin, Illinois

Federal Correctional Institution Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona

Federal Correctional Institution Ray Brook in Ray Brook, New York

Federal Correctional Institution Safford in Safford, Arizona

Federal Correctional Institution Sandstone in Sandstone, Minnesota

Federal Correctional Institution Schuylkill in Minersville, Pennsylvania

Federal Correctional Institution Seagoville in Seagoville, Texas

Federal Correctional Institution Sheridan in Sheridan, Oregon

Federal Correctional Institution Talladega in Talladega, Alabama

Federal Correctional Institution Tallahassee in Tallahassee, Florida

Federal Correctional Institution Terminal Island in San Pedro, California

Federal Correctional Institution Texarkana in Texarkana, Texas

Federal Correctional Institution Three Rivers in Three Rivers, Texas

Federal Correctional Institution Waseca in Waseca, Minnesota

Federal Correctional Institution Williamsburg in Salters, South Carolina

Federal Medical Center Devens in Devens, Massachusetts

Federal Medical Center Butner in Butner, North Carolina

Federal Medical Center Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky

Federal Transfer Center Oklahoma City in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

United States Penitentiary Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia

United States Penitentiary Leavenworth in Leavenworth, Kansas

Martindale AHP in San Antonio, Texas

Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania

Tobyhanna Army Complex in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania

Military Ocean Terminal Concord in Concord, California

Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point in Sunny Point, North Carolina