There Are No Drone Shows in DC: Here’s why

Drone shows have been popular across the country, and have gone hand in hand with a lot of fireworks displays for holidays like Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve. However, you won’t find them in DC.

Why are there no drone shows in DC?

After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks where a plane crashed into the Pentagon, the airspace around Washington DC became restricted air space.

The restricted air space is centered around Regan National Airport (DCA), which is 2 miles south of the Washington Monument. The 15 mile radius from DCA is considered a Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), while the radius that is 15-30 miles from DCA is the the Washington DC Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA). Additionally, the Prohibited Area 56 (P-56) has been around for about 50 years and restricts aircraft around the White House, National Mall, US Capitol, and Naval Observatory (where the Vice President lives).

Why does this matter if we’re talking about drone shows? Well, drones are aircraft.

P-56 is the most restrictive, and only allows “specially authorized flights that are in direct support of the U.S. Secret Service, the Office of the President, or one of several government agencies with missions that require air support within P-56” per the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Drones are not allowed.

In the FRZ, drones are prohibited without special waivers from the FAA and TSA. They require a compelling reason, and are usually approved if the work is in tandem with a government agency or can show greater benefit to the community. This is how we do get aerial shots of Washington DC.

A drone show could potentially get a waiver, but because of the requirement that any drone operations within 7 miles of DCA need a government sponsor as well as law enforcement coordination in order to be approved. It’s a more involved process than elsewhere in the country.

Outside of the FRZ in the SFRA, there are less rules, and drones can be flown for recreational use (with limitations). It is also more lenient for commercial drones as well.

But I saw an ad from a drone event on the National Mall!

Recently I was on Instagram, and saw an Instagram ad for a drone show for the National Mall. Digging into it, they were advertising it for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

There were a number of red flags, besides it being a drone show on the National Mall:

• It was being put on by a company with no website or social media presence
• The images one the event page had the hallmarks of AI-generated images
• It was charging admission for a viewing area where you could buy drinks and have heaters. While the Park Service has loosened up some of their rules around vending on the National Mall over the past 20 years, this seemed unlikely.
• They were offering parking in downtown DC near the Mall for $6.50 on a weekend night (unrealistically low)
• It was being advertised during the government shut down when air traffic controllers were working without getting paid and there was a nation-wide shortage with flights being cancelled as a result. It seemed unlikely that the government would approve hundreds of drones flying close to the DCA flight path (over the Potomac River near the Mall) during this time.

If there was a drone show being put on at the National Mall, it would likely be something similar to the Fourth of July fireworks, where it is free and open to the public, and organized by the government. It would be featured in all the news outlets, the DC tourism board would be promoting it, and it would be a huge to-do because it is so difficult to organize.

If you see an ad for a drone show in DC, be wary, especially if you have to pay. Look at reputable local news sites to see if there is any coverage of the event.