Much to the surprise of drone pilots who assumed it was already illegal, the FAA announced today that it will restrict drone flights up to 400 feet within the lateral boundaries of 133 military facilities. Flight above 400 feet by unmanned vehicles is already prohibited without special authorization. The restrictions will be effective starting on April 14. The FAA says this is the first time it has issued airspace regulation specifically applicable only to unmanned aerial vehicles, but did not explain why it was choosing only to apply the restrictions to drone flights. The areas affected, in many cases, are already inside of part-time controlled or restricted airspace. The net result of the new restriction is to prohibit drone flights during the hours in which a restricted area is not in effect or a part-time control tower is closed.
Interactive maps are available to drone operators atuas-faa.opendata.arcgis.comor through the FAA’s B4UFLY mobile app.
