A Minnesota-based journalist this month filed what appears to be the first legal challenge against a controversial FAA temporary flight restriction (TFR) that bans drones from flying near U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ground operations.
In a petition filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, independent photojournalist Rob Levine argued that the TFR is unconstitutional and has effectively chilled aerial newsgathering. Issued in January via notice to airmen (NOTAM), the restriction covers DHS “mobile assets” including “vessels and ground vehicle convoys and their associated escorts,” citing national security concerns.
