MONITORING THE SKIES ON GAME DAY
The TFR no-fly zone for Super Bowl LIII was in effect from 3 p.m. until midnight on Sunday, Feb. 3, encompassing a 30- mile radius around Atlanta and a more restrictive 10-mile radius inside it. GA pilots could enter the outer zone if they had a reservation and were arriving/departing a local airport, filed a flight plan, used a transponder, and stayed in communication with ATC. DHS also reviewed the information.
Specialists from the CBP Air & Marine Operations Center (AMOC) in Riverside, California, partnered with local Atlanta FAA personnel to monitor the airspace encompassing the Super Bowl TFR and beyond. In the secure Airspace Security Operations Center in the Atlanta
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metropolitan area, they received live FAA air traffic control radar feeds to identify and sort the traffic. CBP focused on the smaller, slower aircraft. If an unauthorized GA aircraft appeared to be approaching the TFR, they would attempt to identify the owner/pilot and check for the aircraft’s flight plan. This information would then be relayed to the CBP aircraft patrolling nearby, which would respond accordingly.
Air security officials have something in common with TV fans who enjoy seeing NFL players pound each other in the mud and snow. The air security officials smile at bad weather on Super Bowl Sunday because it means less air traffic, Rodriguez related. “The worse it is, the better it is for airspace security,” said Rodriguez, who piloted AV-8B Harriers in the Marine Corps.
Unfortunately, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are less deterred by weather. CBP also has to watch out for UAVs
violating the TFR during the Super Bowl, especially since amateur UAV enthusiasts are much more likely to be ignorant of TFR regulations. At Super Bowl LI in Houston, CBP sent out an AStar to intercept a small drone that could have caused serious problems if it hit another aircraft, Rodriguez recalled. “Yes, we’re getting incrementally more calls on these things,” Rodriguez confirmed.
Both Grantham and Rodriguez said it’s incredibly rewarding to help protect Super Bowl fans. “It’s amazing how smoothly it goes off,” Grantham said. “It all gets down to the people – hardworking, dedicated people.”
And no, in case you’re wondering, these law officers who help protect our fun do not get free tickets to any of these games.
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