With the upcoming Fall Festival, a Temporary Flight Restriction has been established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA maintains the safety and efficiency of our airspace. In special circumstances, the FAA may temporarily restrict access to certain designated areas of our airspace. In the restricted airspace there are prohibitions on takeoff or landing of remote controlled, unmanned aircrafts or drones for a limited time. Temporary Flight Restrictions are issued for safety or security purposes.
Drones are not to be flown by the general public over any area of the Fall Festival from October 6th through the 11th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 pm. Drone operators who conduct unsafe or unauthorized operations face fines up to $75,000 per violation. The FAA can also suspend or revoke drone operators’ pilot certificates.
Should you wish to fly a drone during the Fall Festival, you will have to apply for a waiver. Waivers will need to be submitted through the SGI process, and you must be an existing Part 107 Remote Pilot with a current certificate OR you must have an existing Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA). To submit a waiver you can find more information at: https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/emergency_situations.
If approved, the FAA will add an amendment to your existing COA or Remote Pilot Certificate that authorizes the drone operator to fly under certain conditions. If denied, operators should not fly outside the provisions of their existing COA or part 107. Operators have the option to amend their requests.
TFR Details (provided by the FAA):
• Dates: October 6-11, 2025
• Start time: 10:00am (CST)
• End time: 11:00pm (CST)
• Radius: 1-mile radius from the midpoint of the event at 37° 58’ 50”N, 87° 35’50”W
• Radius: 1-mile radius from the midpoint of the event at W. Franklin and 11th Ave.
• https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr3/?page=detail_5_3694
If you would like more information about drones or Temporary Flight Restrictions, you can visit: https://www.faa.gov/uas.
