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⚖ Airspace · § 91.145, Management of Aircraft Operations Near Major Sporting EventsAIR-035 · 84 of 261

A remote pilot is hired to photograph tailgate activities on public land 500 feet from the perimeter of an NFL stadium on game day. The stadium seats 68,000 fans. What must the pilot know before launching?

AThe operation is legal: the planned area is on public land outside the stadium property.
BAn automatic TFR activates within 3 nautical miles of the stadium from 1 hour before kickoff until 1 hour after the game ends, prohibiting drone operations up to 3,000 feet AGL.✓
CWritten permission from the team's facility management provides sufficient authorization to fly within the TFR.

Why →Under 14 CFR § 91.145 and standing policy, a TFR automatically activates within 3 nautical miles of any major league sporting event drawing more than 30,000 fans. The restriction covers surface to 3,000 feet AGL, active from 1 hour before the scheduled start until 1 hour after the event ends. At 500 feet from the stadium perimeter, the pilot is almost certainly within 3 NM.

The trap →The restriction is a radius from the stadium, not a property line, so public land 500 feet out is deep inside it. Team management permission is not FAA authorization. The same rule covers big college games and NASCAR events.

Field note →Check tfr.faa.gov before any operation near sports or entertainment venues, especially on weekends. When in doubt, fly outside the 1-hour window before and after the event, or obtain the specific NOTAM details.

SOURCE → 14 CFR § 91.145, Management of Aircraft Operations Near Major Sporting EventsCHECKED JUL 16ACS II.B.K3MED
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