PHOENIX, AZ—On Sunday, February 12, the Federal Aviation Administration sent out an alert notifying the public of flight restrictions in the air space above Phoenix, Arizona where the 2023 Super Bowl was being held.
According to a spokesperson for NORAD, the Arizona Mirror F-16 fighter jets will be patrolling the skies around Phoenix to intercept any aircraft that goes into the restricted airspace. In addition, the spokesperson reported that there will be a number of different aircraft flying over the area, including advanced warning aircraft and tankers.
“Pilots should anticipate a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in the Pheonix area on February 12, 2023. Typical TFRs limit the availability of certain operations, flight training, and unmanned aerial system (UAS) operations. Specific procedures described,” the FAA warned.
The alert went on to encourage pilots to check in frequently to see what their limitations would be.
According to the FAA, airports in the Glendale, AZ area have been subject to flight restrictions in addition to some of the smaller municipal airports in the area.
The FFA indicated that it expects the TFR to be active from 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time on Super Bowl Sunday. For pilots, this would entail a 10-nautical-mile “inner core” along with a 30-nautical-mile “outer ring.”
The FAA Western Regional Administrator Erik W. Amend told the AZ Mirror, “drones are no longer allowed to be used from Thursday until Sunday night, when the Super Bowl is slated to include them. We want to encourage everyone to leave their drones at home.”
