Philadelphia, a bustling Pennsylvania city full of American history, can be a great place to fly a drone if you have clarity on where drones are and are not allowed. We’ve covered some exciting locations to fly a drone in Philadelphia in a previous blog post. Now, we’re going to outline some locations in Philadelphia where you should never fly a drone.
Flying a drone in these locations has been deemed unsafe by legislators and federal regulators. Drone pilots who fly in any of these five highly illegal places to fly a drone in Philadelphia may be putting others in harm’s way and could face serious fines or even jail time.
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Five Places Drones are Banned in Philadelphia
According to our research, it is illegal to fly a drone at any of the five Philadelphia locations listed below. This list can help responsible drone pilots familiarize themselves with locations to avoid when flying in Philadelphia. However, this list is not all-encompassing and should not be the ending point of your research. Additionally, FAA drone laws are continuously evolving. While we try to keep all the information here up to date, it is best for the pilot to conduct their own research for the most current information.
NOTE: This article is purely for entertainment purposes only. It is the responsibility of the pilot to properly research, follow, and abide to all local, state, or federal aviation laws.
Source: Samsebeskazal Denis
1. Philadelphia Naval Yard
The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard is classified as “Special Use” airspace by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)—the U.S. government agency responsible for regulating civil aviation. Because of the military activity in this area, controlled airspace classification, and nearby airports, drone pilots cannot fly at the Philadelphia Naval Yard without permission from the FAA and the Department of Defense (DOD).
The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an active naval base until it closed in 1996. Since then, the Shipyard has been retrofitted by the City of Pennsylvania as a 1,200-acre business community hosting 150 companies. The site continues to serve as an American landmark as well as home to continued Naval operations including the U.S. Navy’s Naval Ship Systems Engineering Station, the Propeller Shop and Foundry, and the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility.
Looking for places to fly a drone in Philadelphia? Read this article next: Top 7 Best Places to Fly a Drone in Philadelphia
2. Independence National Historic Park
The drone ban at Philadelphia’s Independence National Historic Park came about in October 2017 as a result of U.S. national security concerns. The FAA address these concerns, at the request of law enforcement agencies, by banning drone operations at 10 Department of the Interior (DOI) sites, including Independence National Historic Park.
The Park preserves several sites associated with the American Revolution, such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. As part of the U.S. National Park System, Independence National Historic Park is also subject to the nationwide ban on drones in National Parks. Violation of the ban is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
Source: Wikipedia
3.Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
The airspace surrounding airports is controlled by air traffic control (ATC) services. Drone pilots must request permission to fly in controlled airspace through LAANC or DroneZone. Specifically, the Philadelphia International Airport is located in controlled Class B airspace. This classification of airspace surrounds the nation’s most active airports in cities like New York, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.
Flying in controlled airspace without authorization from the FAA is severely penalized. One investigation of unauthorized drone flights in Philadelphia’s controlled airspace resulted in a drone pilot getting fined $182,000.
“Drone operators should avoid flying near airports because it is difficult for manned aircraft to see and avoid a drone while flying. Remember that drone operators must avoid manned aircraft and are responsible for any safety hazard their drone creates in an airport environment.”
4. Philadelphia Sports Stadiums: Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park
Lincoln Financial Field is home to the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and the NCAA’s Temple Owls football team. Citizens Bank Park is home to MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies. Both of these sports stadiums are located in controlled Class B airspace, requiring airspace authorization through LAANC or DroneZone for all drone flights, regardless of whether or not any sporting events are taking place during the time of flight. When sporting events are taking place, additional restrictions become active through Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs).
A TFR is a type of Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) and defines an area restricted to air travel due to a hazardous condition, a special event, or a general warning for the entire FAA airspace. A list of active TFRs can be found on the FAA website. For major sporting events, a TFR will be put in place starting one hour before and ending one hour after the scheduled time of the event. This prohibits unauthorized drones from flying within a 3NMR up to and including 3000ft AGL of any stadium having a seating capacity of 30,000 or more people.
Source: Wikipedia Commons
5. John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
The refuge at John Heinz at Tinicum was established to preserve, restore, and develop the natural area known as Tinicum Marsh and promote environmental education. While visitors to the refuge are encouraged to observe hundreds of species of animals and plants, they must do so from the ground. Drones are not permitted at the Refuge in accordance with Pennsylvania’s ban on drones at state parks. Drones have been known to disturb the migration paths of some birds, causing them to be unwelcomed in protected habitats such as John Heinz.
Places to Fly a Drone Legally and Safely in Philadelphia
To navigate Philadelphia’s airspace, drone pilots need a thorough understanding of where it is legal and safe to fly. The Federal Aviation Administration makes it clear where drone pilots should not fly with tools like the B4UFLY mobile app.
Drone pilots can steer clear of the five locations where drones are prohibited that we’ve reviewed, and still find safe and fun places to fly a drone in Philadelphia. We provide some suggestions for flying a drone in Philadelphia and nearby areas in this post, Top 7 Best Places to Fly a Drone in Pennsylvania.
If you need assistance with a drone flight for your business in Philadelphia and want to make sure the operation is sound with federal and state drone laws, contact our drone experts at The Drone Life. Our team has experience on hundreds of commercial drone projects within a wide range of industries across Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York.
NOTE: This article is purely for entertainment purposes only. It is the responsibility of the pilot to properly research, follow, and abide to all local, state, or federal aviation laws.
