Super Bowl LX: FAA Grounds Drones Hard

Super Bowl Sunday is famous for wings, commercials, and at least one friend explaining formations like they invented football. Super Bowl LX, happening February 8, 2026 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, adds one more tradition to the list: aggressively restricted airspace.

The FAA has released its official flight advisory at the request of the Department of Homeland Security, and the message is clear, loud, and written in capital letters somewhere deep inside a NOTAM. If you fly anything, especially a drone, Northern California is about to become extremely unwelcoming airspace.

This is not a “please be careful” situation. This is a “do not test us” situation.

A Super Bowl Sized No Fly Zone

The FAA is implementing Special Security Instruction Temporary Flight Restrictions around the Super Bowl. These TFRs expand over several days, multiple locations, and a surprisingly large chunk of sky.

In the days leading up to the game, downtown San Francisco becomes a drone free zone. From February 3 through February 7, drones are prohibited within a one nautical mile radius, up to 1,000 feet AGL, for long stretches every afternoon and evening. If your plan involved casual skyline shots, the FAA would like you to reconsider everything.

On game day, things tighten fast. From 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. PST, drones are banned within two nautical miles of Levi’s Stadium, up to 2,000 feet AGL. That is the warm up act.

From 2:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. PST, the main event begins. A ten nautical mile (11.5 miles) inner core around the stadium becomes completely off limits from the surface up to just below 18,000 feet. That includes drones, helicopters, small planes, and anything else that thought about flying for fun.

Beyond that, from ten to thirty nautical miles, the outer ring comes into play. Flights may be allowed, but only with active flight plans, assigned transponder codes, constant ATC communication, and zero tolerance for sightseeing or loitering. This is aviation with a stopwatch and a checklist.

Why You Really Should Take This Seriously

If this all sounds dramatic, that is because it is meant to be. The FAA spells out the consequences of violating a security TFR very clearly. Pilots may face certificate suspension or revocation, civil penalties, criminal charges, and interception by law enforcement. In extreme cases, the U.S. government reserves the right to use deadly force if an aircraft is considered an imminent threat.

And before anyone thinks this only applies to “real airplanes,” drones are explicitly included. In fact, unmanned aircraft often get the fastest response because they are harder to identify and easier to neutralize.

If you need a real world example, you do not have to look far, I even wrote about it:

The MLB All Star Game Drone That Went Very Wrong

During the 2025 MLB All Star Game in Atlanta, a man named Mitchell Parsons Hughes decided that the FAA’s temporary flight restriction around Truist Park did not apply to him. Despite warnings on his drone controller and a clearly defined one mile No Drone Zone, he flew anyway.

Federal prosecutors did not find this impressive.

Hughes was charged with knowingly violating national defense airspace. On December 5, 2025, he pleaded guilty. His sentence included six months of probation and a $500 fine. No viral clip, no cinematic glory, just a permanent reminder that TFRs are not suggestions and the FAA does not accept “I thought it would be fine” as a defense.

Compared to the language in the Super Bowl LX advisory, he arguably got off light.

Are Any Drone Flights Allowed at All?

Yes, technically. But this is not for hobbyists or last minute requests.

Drone operations inside the restricted airspace must be pre approved by the FAA System Operations Support Center. Approval is limited to missions directly supporting national defense, homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, or urgent governmental interests. Requests take at least 24 hours to process and must meet strict criteria set by federal agencies.

If your flight does not involve a badge, a radio call sign, or an emergency response plan, the answer is no.

Do You Want Your Drone To Be Destroyed?

The FAA also reminds operators that DHS, DOJ, and DOD are authorized to interfere with, seize, damage, or destroy unmanned aircraft that pose a credible threat. That sentence alone should convince anyone to leave the drone case closed.

DroneXL’s Take

Super Bowl airspace restrictions are like a force field powered by paperwork, radar, and people who do not enjoy excuses. Every year, someone thinks they are the exception. Every year, the FAA proves them wrong.

The MLB All Star Game case is the perfect cautionary tale. A single flight, a few minutes of bad judgment, and suddenly you are explaining yourself to federal prosecutors instead of your YouTube audience.

For Super Bowl LX, the rule is simple. If you are anywhere near San Francisco or Santa Clara in early February, assume the sky is closed unless you have written confirmation saying otherwise. Watch the game, enjoy the commercials, and let the authorized aircraft handle the aerial shots.

Your drone will appreciate staying in one piece, and your future self will appreciate not being a footnote in the next FAA press release.

Photo credit: NFL