Drone TFRs This Week: Rome and Toledo VIP Zones Today, a Mayport Security Area and a Busy Air Show Weekend

Election week opens with two VIP airspace closures today, a week-long security zone over a Jacksonville Navy base and a weekend full of air shows and drone-only event zones, mostly in Florida. Here is what the FAA had posted as of early Monday, November 2. All times below are standard time, because daylight saving time ended Sunday.

Today: VIP TFRs in Rome, New York and Toledo, Ohio

Two separate VIP restrictions are active today. Each is a single 5 nautical mile circle that runs from the surface up to 4,999 feet AGL, and both list remote controlled aircraft among the operations that are prohibited.

• Rome, NY (NOTAM 6/4199): Centered on Griffiss International Airport, [9:15] AM to [1:15] PM EST.
• Toledo, OH (NOTAM 6/4151): Centered on Toledo Express Airport, [11:30] AM to 3 PM EST.

Both warn that federal agencies may seize or destroy a drone they consider a credible threat. Operators with a real need to fly must request a Special Governmental Interest (SGI) waiver from the FAA.

Monday through Friday night: Naval Station Mayport (NOTAM 6/4313)

A new national defense airspace NOTAM covers Naval Station Mayport near the mouth of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville. The core area runs from the surface to 2,500 feet MSL. Several larger shelves sit above and beside it at higher altitudes. The restriction is active every day from 7 AM to 1 AM EST, starting this morning and ending at 1 AM on Saturday, November 7. Entry requires an ATC-assigned transponder code and two-way radio contact, which a drone can’t meet, so treat the core as off limits all week.

This weekend: five air show TFRs

Air show TFRs block all aircraft, drones included, inside a 5 NM radius during the listed demonstration windows:

• Pensacola, FL (6/4028): NAS Pensacola Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show, surface to 15,000 feet MSL. Thursday, [8:30] AM to [3:30] PM CST, then Friday and Saturday, [8:30] AM to 4 PM CST.
• Titusville, FL (6/4077): The “Max Air Power” demonstrations at the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility, surface to 16,000 feet MSL. Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM EST, then Saturday and Sunday, 11 AM to 5 PM EST.
• Punta Gorda, FL (6/4140): Florida International Airshow, surface to 10,000 feet MSL, 11 AM to [2:30] PM EST Friday through Sunday.
• San Marcos, TX (6/4084): Texas Capital Airshow, surface to 12,000 feet MSL, [11:30] AM to 4 PM CST daily Friday through Sunday.
• Somerset, KY (6/4099): Lake Cumberland Airshow, surface to 11,000 feet MSL. Friday, 2 PM to [4:30] PM EST, and Saturday, noon to [3:30] PM EST.

This weekend: drone-only zones over crowds

Three new NOTAMs were issued early this morning under 49 U.S.C. 44812, the large public gathering authority from the 2024 FAA Reauthorization Act. Unlike the TFRs above, these apply only to drones, from the surface to 400 feet AGL:

• Orlando, FL (6/4332): A 0.5 NM circle the FAA lists as the “Electric Daisy Festival,” daily from noon to [11:30] PM EST, Friday through Sunday.
• Tampa, FL (6/4331): A 1 NM circle around Raymond James Stadium for an Ed Sheeran concert, 5 PM to [11:30] PM EST Saturday.
• Raleigh, NC (6/4333): A 0.8 NM circle for the NC State vs. Duke tailgate, [7:30] AM to [11:30] AM EST Saturday.

Only flights coordinated with the listed local police contact are allowed.

Seasonal security zones are back

A set of long-running security TFRs took effect November 1 and runs until March 14, 2027. Most of them start thousands of feet above the ground. One doesn’t: near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, NOTAM 6/4116 includes a box that starts at the surface and goes up to 2,400 feet MSL. Check its edges before flying nearby.

What this means for drone pilots

• Election week moves fast. No Election Day TFRs were posted as of this morning, but VIP restrictions often show up with only a day or two of notice. Check tfr.faa.gov or an FAA-approved app on the morning you fly, not the night before.
• Mind the time change. With clocks back on standard time, the Zulu-to-local offset changed by an hour. A Zulu conversion done last week is now off by an hour.
• Air show TFRs aren’t just for planes. “Aircraft operations are prohibited” includes your drone, even if you’re only filming the show from a parking lot.
• Brush up on the basics. MSL versus AGL ceilings, nautical mile radii and NOTAM decoding all show up on the FAA knowledge test. Drone U’s Part 107 course walks through them, and students have been known to finish it in three days and pass the test.

Sources: FAA TFR NOTAMs 6/4199, 6/4151, 6/4313, 6/4028, 6/4077, 6/4140, 6/4084, 6/4099, 6/4332, 6/4331, 6/4333 and 6/4116

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