Weekend No-Fly Zones Not Yet Set

The temporary flight restrictions, which are still in effect, divert planes flying below 3,000 feet within three miles of all collegiate, professional and high school sporting events.

Temporary flight restrictions usually require a formal request and an evaluation by the FAA.

But last weekend there were so many requests that the FAA issued a blanket no-fly zone.

Derek Poarch, director of the UNC Department of Public Safety, said the University did not request a no-fly zone for this past weekend's football game against Florida State University, but the FAA chose to issue one anyway.

Christopher White, a spokesman for the FAA Southern Region, said the restrictions were issued in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.

But White said situations would dictate the effectiveness of the flight restrictions in preventing any future terrorist attacks.

White said the restrictions were issued for security reasons, but there is no cause to believe college sporting events are targets.

Commercial flights usually are not affected by the regulations because their flight paths are generally above the 3,000 foot zone.

Exceptions to the restrictions were made for military, medical and police aircraft.

White said no-fly zones normally are used for emergency situations, such as natural disasters, and rarely have been used for sporting-event security in the past.

"They are usually only for emergencies," he said. "Things like this are not why they were developed."

If a security zone was violated, White said the air traffic controller would attempt to contact the pilot in violation, but individual cases would dictate the repercussions.

"Each circumstance would be different," he said. "A pilot may lose his license."

Cmdr. Don Sewell of the Department of Defense in Washington, D.C., said that if there was serious concern, stronger actions could be taken to protect the area.

"There are operational procedures that go into effect when an aircraft violates a no-fly zone," he said.

The new flight restrictions were issued in conjunction with numerous other security measures, including discontinued curbside check in, reduced access points at airports and more regulated airspace over military bases and major cities.

But Sewell said that there are limits to the military's ability to enforce no-fly zones.

"If a person has the desire to attack, our job is to defend the best we can," he said. "But it will not necessarily prevent them from doing so."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.