Flying a drone in restricted or prohibited airspace
Prohibited and restricted areas are charted special use airspace. Part 107 lets a remote pilot in only with permission, and the two kinds of area are not the same.
Can you fly a drone in a restricted or prohibited area?
Only with permission. Under 14 CFR 107.45, no one may operate a small unmanned aircraft in a prohibited or restricted area unless that person has permission from the using or controlling agency, as appropriate. Flight in a prohibited area is prohibited outright, while a restricted area is subject to restrictions and can hold hidden hazards.
A prohibited area is airspace of defined dimensions within which the flight of aircraft is prohibited. It is set up for security or other reasons associated with the national welfare, it is published in the Federal Register, and it is depicted on aeronautical charts. The Study Guide says it is charted as a "P" followed by a number (for example P-40) and names Camp David and the National Mall in Washington, D.C. as examples.
A restricted area is different: the flight of aircraft is not wholly prohibited but is subject to restrictions. Restricted areas denote the existence of unusual, often invisible, hazards to aircraft, and the AIM says penetration without authorization from the using or controlling agency may be extremely hazardous. Permanent special use airspace is charted on sectional charts with its hours of operation, altitudes and controlling agency.
This rule is separate from the airport airspace rule. Authorization from air traffic control for Class B, C, D and surface Class E airspace is explained on our 14 CFR 107.41 page; section 107.45 asks instead for permission from the using or controlling agency of the prohibited or restricted area.
§ 107.45 Operation in prohibited or restricted areas.
No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in prohibited or restricted areas unless that person has permission from the using or controlling agency, as appropriate.
14 CFR 107.45
No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in prohibited or restricted areas unless that person has permission from the using or controlling agency, as appropriate.
FAA-G-8082-22, ch. 2, Prohibited Areas
Prohibited areas contain airspace of defined dimensions within which the flight of aircraft is prohibited. Such areas are established for security or other reasons associated with the national welfare.
AIM 3-4-3, Restricted Areas
Restricted areas denote the existence of unusual, often invisible, hazards to aircraft such as artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles.
AIM 3-4-1, General
Prohibited and restricted areas are regulatory special use airspace and are established in 14 CFR part 73 through the rulemaking process.
Section 107.45 covers both prohibited and restricted areas: a restricted area is not wholly prohibited, but a remote pilot still needs permission from the using or controlling agency.
The permission comes from the using or controlling agency, not from the air traffic control authorization used for controlled airspace around airports.
A prohibited area is charted as a "P" followed by a number, such as P-40 around Camp David.
Restricted areas can hold unusual, often invisible, hazards such as artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles.
Quick quiz: 3 questions
Similar to the FAA test, not the actual test questions. Each answer shows its FAA source.
Question 1 of 3
Under what condition, if any, may pilots fly through a restricted area?
A With the controlling agency’s authorization.
B Regulations do not allow this.
C When flying on airways with an ATC clearance.
Show the answer
Answer: A. With the controlling agency’s authorization.
14 CFR 107.45: operation in prohibited or restricted areas requires permission from the using or controlling agency. "Regulations do not allow this" is tempting for prohibited areas, but the rule allows it with permission. An ATC airway clearance is a manned-IFR idea and does not apply.
Refer to the chart excerpt. What does P-56, shown with the warning Avoid Prohibited Area near the Capitol in Washington, DC, mean for a remote pilot?
Tap the figure to open it full size.
A It is a prohibited area; a small UA may not be operated there without permission from the using agency.
B It is a restricted area that is active only at published times; outside those times a small UA may operate there.
C It is a military operations area; a small UA may operate there but the pilot should use extreme caution.
Show the answer
Answer: A. It is a prohibited area; a small UA may not be operated there without permission from the using agency.
The letter P marks a prohibited area, and the chart adds a warning to avoid it. 14 CFR 107.45 says no person may operate a small UA in prohibited or restricted areas without permission from the using or controlling agency, and 14 CFR 73.83 allows operation in a prohibited area only with authorization from the using agency. P-56 runs from the surface to 18,000 feet MSL and is continuous.
Refer to the chart excerpt. The labels P-40 and R-4009 are stacked near Thurmont, Maryland. Which statement is correct?
Tap the figure to open it full size.
A P-40 is a prohibited area, but R-4009 is an alert area where no permission is needed.
B Both are military operations areas; a remote pilot may operate there but should use extreme caution.
C P-40 is a prohibited area and R-4009 is a restricted area; a small UA needs permission from the using or controlling agency, as appropriate.
Show the answer
Answer: C. P-40 is a prohibited area and R-4009 is a restricted area; a small UA needs permission from the using or controlling agency, as appropriate.
The letter P means prohibited and the letter R means restricted. 14 CFR 107.45 says no person may operate a small UA in prohibited or restricted areas without permission from the using or controlling agency, as appropriate. The caution box on the chart also tells pilots to contact Flight Service for the latest restriction status and NOTAMs for P-40 and R-4009.
Where do I find the controlling agency and hours of a restricted area?
Permanent special use airspace is charted on Sectional Aeronautical, VFR Terminal Area, and applicable En Route charts, and the charts include the hours of operation, altitudes, and the controlling agency.
Are military operations areas and alert areas also off limits to a drone?
Section 107.45 names only prohibited and restricted areas. The AIM lists warning areas, MOAs, alert areas, controlled firing areas and national security areas as nonregulatory special use airspace.
Practice this with the UAV Campus AI Flight Instructor
It quizzes you on questions like these, explains why each answer is right with the FAA page behind it, and retests the ones you miss. Free to start: 300 credits every month.
