The DC Flight-Restricted Zone (FRZ) is a highly secure airspace that surrounds Washington, DC. It was established following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and other targets in DC. When the national air space reopened, the FAA established specific air traffic control procedures for all air traffic flying into or out of Reagan National Airport.

With the rapid growth of commercial drones starting in 2014, the FAA and DHS imposed further restrictions which banned virtually all UAS operations until late 2017. However, due to major technology advances with drones, the agencies now grant waivers to allow UAS operations inside the DC-FRZ.

The Washington DC Flight-Restricted zone encompasses all airspace inside a radius extending approximately 15 nautical miles from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

Inside the DC-FRZ, all aviation, including UAS (drone) flights, requires authorization by the FAA, TSA, and clearance by on-duty air traffic controllers. Additional security measures must be implemented to operate a drone within a 7 nautical mile radius of Reagan National (due to proximity to the White House, U.S. Capitol, and other essential buildings.)

Simply put, you cannot legally fly a drone inside the Washington, DC FRZ without prior authorization by the Transportation Security Administration and FAA. It comes in the form of a "waiver" of existing flight restrictions and special flight operations procedures.

When a waiver is issued, it includes specific restrictions governing when the drone may be flown, where, at what altitude, and for how long. Depending on the location, additional restrictions may be imposed to further protect national security interests.

Video, photos, asset inspections, and thermal imaging are all allowed under waivers inside the Washington DC Flight-Restricted zone; however, in addition to the waiver requirements, operators must also follow all other regulations related to UAS flight operations. These include a general restriction against flying over people or flying at night. These kinds of operations are possible but require additional authorization.

As with every commercial, charter, and general aviation aircraft that flies inside the DC-FRZ, authorities want to know the unmanned aerial system (drone) operation (and the people flying it) pose no threat to national security interests. They also require assurances the flight operation is consequential to public and/or economic interests. Therefore, the waiver application includes: Information about when/where the operation flight(s) will occur. Crew member names. UAS equipment documentation. Description of how the operation will mitigate safety and security risks.

The process to gain approval to fly inside the Washington, DC Flight-Restricted zone involves three phases: 1) Gathering the required documentation of the operation, crew members, and equipment; 2) submission of the request through official channels; and 3) consideration and approval by federal agencies. The required documentation varies, depending upon the type of UAS mission, its location, the period the waiver will be needed, and whether it is for one time, or recurring, UAS operations.

TSA requests up the 28-days to review waiver requests. However, for emergency or other urgent requests, the timeframe may be expedited. Keep in mind, multiple federal agencies review the waiver and coordinate when one is issued. And (this is important) the same people that review waiver submissions for the Washington, DC flight-restricted zone also manage waiver requests from other flight restricted zones in the United States.

The federal government does not currently charge a fee to review and approve waivers for UAS (drone) operations inside the Washington, DC flight-restricted zone. However, the process of preparing and submitting a successful waiver request takes both time and expertise. For this reason, LatLong UAS charges $199 for waiver submissions. (Be sure to also consider the cost of hiring a law enforcement officer to observe operations in some locations and the cost for any film permits required by local municipalities.)

Work with a services provider who can document a record of successfully conducting UAS operations inside the DC FRZ. Develop a scope of work and use it to plan and execute your production. Be sure to account for the time it will take to gather the required documentation. Notify all stakeholders about the operation before, during, and after. Start the submission process as soon as possible.