FAA to Drone Pilots: “Not Today, Fam” – NBA Finals Airspace Gets the No-Fly Treatment

Picture this: the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder are duking it out in Game 7 of the NBA Finals at the Paycom Center. The crowd’s roaring, the stakes are sky-high, and you’re itching to launch your drone for that sweet, sweet aerial money shot. Enter the FAA, swooping in like a helicopter mom at prom: “PUT THAT THING AWAY!”

That’s right, folks—drones are officially banned from the Finals airspace. So, if you were planning to flex your Mavic skills, you’re stuck with the Jumbotron view or a seat so high up you’ll need binoculars to spot the ball.

TFR: The FAA’s “No Fun Allowed” Zone

The temporary flight restriction (TFR) is locked and loaded from 5:00 pm to midnight on game night, stretching 400 feet up and a half-nautical-mile around the Paycom Center. No drones, no toy planes, no rogue Roomba-with-wings contraptions—unless you’re a fed with a badge or a fancy FAA waiver, you’re benched.

Try to sneak past? Oh, honey, the FAA’s got fines and license yanks ready to dunk on you faster than Giannis on a fast break. Just ask Alexis Perez Suarez (totally unrelated to your friendly writer and drone addict Rafael Suarez Perez), the genius who buzzed a Ravens game and got slapped with a sentencing.

Spoiler: the only thing he’s flying now is a kite. You want to fly in special locations? Getting a waiver is not that hard, trust me. Specially if you are the kind of person that records really well and know how to fly.

Why So Serious, FAA? Blame the “Threat Vibes”

Why’s the FAA acting like the Finals are a national security briefing? Well, the Department of Homeland Security’s muttering about a “heightened threat environment”—think U.S. military flexing in Iran and some not-so-happy campers plotting revenge.

Add in the fact that a drone once kamikazed into a Celtics watch party last October, bonking two fans, and you’ve got the feds clutching their pearls. This TFR isn’t just about keeping your drone from photobombbing the game—it’s about ensuring nobody’s smuggling tiny spy cams or, I dunno, dropping glitter bombs on the refs (tempting, though)…

Drones: The Rebellious Teens of Tech

Drones are basically the angsty teens of the gadget world—wild, free, and in desperate need of a curfew. And the stats back it up: The Debrief says illegal drone flights near airports spiked 25.6% from January to March 2025. That’s not a flex, that’s a felony waiting to happen… the good part is that everytime we pilots, get more and more concious.

Big events like the NBA Finals are prime targets for rogue pilots, so the FAA’s laying down the law harder than a Thunder fast break. It’s a safety slam dunk, sure, but it’s also a neon sign flashing: “DRONE PILOTS, GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER.”

Chill, Flyboy—There’s a Time and a Place. And is not here.

Look, I know you’re dying to capture that epic Finals footage—drones are the GOAT for aerial eye candy. But let’s not tempt fate (or the feds). Download the FAA’s B4UFLY app, scope those TFRs, and keep your propellers parked for now.

You can still enjoy the game without turning your DJI into a courtside cautionary tale. Root for the Pacers or Thunder, crack a cold one, and leave the airspace to the pros. Because trust me, the only thing worse than missing a buzzer-beater is explaining to your buddies why you’re in jail and your drone’s now an FAA trophy.

Photos courtesy of FAA / YoutubeTV NBA