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As a drone service provider located in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, navigating complex airspace is a given. From obtaining simple LAANC authorization to more involved authorization closer to airports, we have seen it all — or we thought we had, until we received a work order for a thermal roof inspection located within the XPOTUS TFR in Dallas.

A TFR, or a Temporary Flight Restriction, is an area in which the flight of aircraft is prohibited (with few exceptions) due to the presence of a VIP, disaster relief efforts, or some other phenomenon that warrants the restriction of flight.

As the name implies, these restrictions are generally temporary in nature. However, there is a TFR located in Dallas that has been in place since 2009 and is set to exist for the foreseeable future — the residence of XPOTUS George W. Bush.

Our Initial Steps

Upon receipt of the work order, we initially declined. After seeing the project location, we figured there was no chance of receiving authorization to fly a drone in this area. But after giving it some thought, we decided to make some phone calls to at least make an attempt to receive authorization. Here are the initial steps we took:

1. Requesting LAANC Authorization

Out of curiosity, we applied for LAANC authorization. Interestingly, we received LAANC automatic authorization to fly in the area. But given our experience, we figured there was more to the story…We definitely weren’t about to fly this operation based solely on a LAANC authorization (more on this shortly).

2. Calling Fort Worth Center

So, we decided to reach out to Fort Worth Center, the FAA facility listed as the point of contact for the TFR. We explained the situation to a representative, but they weren’t super helpful. In the end, they referred us to TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control).

3. Calling Approach Control

Approach Control was more helpful than Fort Worth Center, but ultimately, they referred us to the FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

4. Calling the FAA Headquarters

We called the FAA headquarters office in Washington, D.C., and thankfully, we were provided with a path forward. The representative we spoke with e-mailed us with a few documents we would have to submit to get approved to fly in the TFR. There would be some other conditions (more on that shortly), but at this point, we reached back out to the client and told them that we would, against all odds, likely be able to complete the job.

We also mentioned that we were able to obtain a LAANC authorization in this area. The representative was fairly surprised and said that this was definitely an issue that would be looked into.

5. Submitting the Requested Documentation

The paperwork wasn’t too complicated. We filled it out, sent it in, and surprisingly, we heard back in just a couple of days — we were approved to fly!

Flying the Job

But we weren’t done quite yet; there were a few other things we had to do to be compliant with the FAA. Below we’ll briefly outline the other things we had to do.

1. Call Dallas Love Tower

One of the conditions surrounding our flight authorization was that we had to notify Dallas Love Tower before and after our flight — pretty simple. The controllers we spoke too didn’t say much, but they were appreciative of the heads up.

2. Call the Secret Service

This is where the process started to feel a bit more complex. We were provided with a phone number for a local Secret Service office that presumably governed the TFR area. Our instructions were to call this number before flying to provide adequate notice of our operation as well as provide notification when the operation was complete.

We were told that the local Secret Service had counter-drone capability (which makes sense), so they required a certain amount of notice to do their thing to ensure our drone wasn’t flagged and neutralized during the operation.

So, we did as we were instructed. Surprisingly, the Secret Service representatives we talked to were friendly enough and didn’t make the process a hassle.

3. Have a Local Uniformed Law Enforcement Officer on Site

Another condition in our FAA authorization was that we had to have a local uniformed law enforcement officer on site during the operation. This part of the process actually required the most amount of coordination; we reached out to the local patrol division to try to “reserve” an officer for that time period, but we were met with some resistance.

So, we reached out to a friend who works in law enforcement and were ultimately able to arrange for a colleague of a friend to be our on-site LEO.

In Closing

In the end, we were able to successfully complete this job for one of our long-time clients, and we learned quite a bit along the way. If we ever get a request in this area again (and we most certainly will), we’ll know exactly what to do.

This is another reason why hiring a professional is important. Check out this guide for more information: 5 Reasons to Outsource to Drone Service Providers