Drone Use Restricted during Football Games

It’s not unheard of to be outdoors somewhere in the Atlanta area and look up to see a small robotic object hovering overhead. Unmanned aircrafts — commonly known as drones — are becoming popular among hobbyists, photographers, videographers, and even general consumers.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), though, has established limitations on where, when, and how these machines can be used.

One significant FAA limitation on drone use is in and around campus sporting events. Therefore, a temporary flight restriction is in place around all football games at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Beginning one hour before the scheduled time of the event and going until an hour after the event ends, all aircraft operations — including drone use — within three nautical miles of the venue are prohibited. This restriction applies to any stadium with a seating capacity of 30,000 or more that is hosting an NCAA Division I football game. (Other sporting events are included in the temporary flight restriction as well, including MLB and NFL games.)

The FAA restriction applies to Tech’s remaining home games, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 3; Saturday, Oct. 17, Saturday, Oct. 24; Thursday, Nov. 12; and Saturday, Nov. 28. Kickoff for the Oct. 3 game is at 3:30 p.m. Drone use around Bobby Dodd Stadium is prohibited around these events, and operators will be cited and may be disciplined by the Institute.

Whether or not it's a gameday, all non-recreational use of unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs) on campus should be coordinated with the Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD). All students, faculty, and staff are asked to coordinate non-recreational use with Jeff Hunnicutt, physical security specialist.

“As rules and regulations for UAV usage continue to be developed on state and federal levels, our goal is to make sure that safety remains a top priority when operating personally owned UAVs,” said Rob Connolly, chief of GTPD.

Drone owners and enthusiasts can explore www.knowbeforeyoufly.org to learn more about the rules and regulations that apply to flying UAVs. Operators can also use www.airmap.io as a tool for seeing where UAV use is restricted in the Atlanta area.