By Dronelife Features Editor Jim Magill
The (FAA) has declared the airspace above M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, where the annual traditional game pitting the Army and Navy football team against each other will kick off on Saturday, as a no-drone zone.
A temporary flight restriction (TFR) will be in place in the skies above the stadium from 9 a.m.to 9 p.m. Saturday, December 13. Game time is set for 3 p.m. The TFR extends for a two-nautical mile radius around the stadium and up to 2,000 feet above ground level.
The agency warned that drone operators who violate the TFR could face severe penalties.
“UAS [operators] who do not comply with applicable airspace restrictions are warned that pursuant to 10 U.S.C. Section 130i and 6 U.S.C. Section 124n, the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or the Department of Justice (DOJ) may take security action that results in the interference, disruption, seizure, damaging or destruction of unmanned [aircraft] deemed to pose a credible safety or security threat to protected personnel, [facility], or assets,” the NOTAM states.
In a separate NOTAM, the agency issued a TFR over a large area of Baltimore to protect VIP movements. Those restrictions will prohibit most flights within an area of 10 nautical miles between 1:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. EST.
The flight restrictions are part of a larger effort by federal officials to protect large public gatherings, such as major sporting events, from the potential hazards posed by drones operated by careless or clueless pilots or those with bad intent.
“The FAA has long issued sporting-event TFRs for events in stadiums that seat 30,000 or more people, including NCAA Division 1 football games, NFL games and MLB games. These TFRs also apply to NASCAR, Indy Car and Champ Series races,” an FAA spokesman said in an email statement.
“Generally speaking, pilots who violate TFRs can face sanctions ranging from warnings to pilot certificate suspensions or revocations. The sanction depends on the circumstances of the violation.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and FBI Baltimore Field Office issued a joint statement to the public about the TFR, stressing the need for drone pilots to avoid the designated areas while the restrictions are in place.
“Operating a drone in restricted airspace is dangerous and against the law. An unmanned aircraft system operator could lose control of the drone, threatening the safety and lives of those below, or interfere with air operations around the stadium,” U.S. Attorney Kelly Hayes said. “This office remains committed to investigating and prosecuting anyone who violates the no-drone zone in effect during the Army-Navy Game.”
Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul noted that Illegally flying a drone over a large crowd represents a safety and security risk. “The FBI is committed to working with our local, state and federal partners to ensure the Army-Navy game remains a special experience for all and to keep everyone safe as they enjoy America’s game,” he said.
Protecting stadiums from hostile drones
Questions on how best to protect sports stadiums from the potential threats posed by hostile drones have loomed large in recent days.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Houston of Representatives passed the Safer Skies Act as part of the omnibus FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). If approved by the Senate, which appears likely, the legislation for the first time would enable state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) police agencies to disable drones threatening sports stadiums.
Previously, Congress had only granted such authority to a handful of federal agencies. The bill, which establishes clear federal standards for SLTT training, certification and technology use, also sets federal policies for reporting and oversight.
The need to protect sporting events from potential threats from UAVs has also been on the minds federal officials and drone industry representative as the U.S. prepares to host the World Cup soccer tournament and other major events in 2026. At the recent forum hosted by the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, DRONERESPONDERS and the Commercial Drone Alliance, participants discussed a new $500 million federal grant program to fund local efforts to conduct counter-UAS operations.
Under the two-year grant program, half of the funding would go to the 11 U.S. cities hosting World Cup events next year, while the other $250 million will be distributed among all U.S. states and territories to fund counter-UAS efforts.
The city of Baltimore itself is no stranger to drone-related incidents affecting sporting events. In January, officials were forced to temporarily suspend a wild-card game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers when a drone flew over the bowl of M&T Bank Stadium.
Last June, a Baltimore man was sentenced to a year of supervised probation and 100 hours of community service for piloting the drone involved in that incident.
The drone incursion at the wildcard game mirrored a similar incident a year earlier, when the NFL paused the AFC Championship Game between the Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2024, after a UAV entered the stadium’s restricted airspace.
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Jim Magill is a Houston-based writer with almost a quarter-century of experience covering technical and economic developments in the oil and gas industry. After retiring in December 2019 as a senior editor with S&P Global Platts, Jim began writing about emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, robots and drones, and the ways in which they’re contributing to our society. In addition to DroneLife, Jim is a contributor to Forbes.com and his work has appeared in the Houston Chronicle, U.S. News & World Report, and Unmanned Systems, a publication of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International.
