Filing a NASA Form & finding info on Sports TFRs!...

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

I don't think the "stadiums are only used for NFL football" part is accurate at all. Concerts, soccer in some cases, big religious rallies, even marching band competitions, all things Mile High is regularly used for.

Figuring out the attendance numbers from these things is damned near impossible, too. Is it 30,000 people or only 29,999? Or whatever the magic number is this year.

No TFR for concerts, soccer, religious rallies or marching bands. Attendance does not matter- just seating capacity.
http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_4_3621.html

ANY STADIUM HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF 30,000 OR MORE PEOPLE WHERE EITHER A REGULAR OR POST SEASON MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, OR NCAA DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL GAME IS OCCURRING. THIS NOTAM ALSO APPLIES TO NASCAR SPRINT CUP, INDY CAR, AND CHAMP SERIES RACES EXCLUDING QUALIFYING AND PRE-RACE EVENTS.

 

[MAKG1]

I don't think the "stadiums are only used for NFL football" part is accurate at all. Concerts, soccer in some cases, big religious rallies, even marching band competitions, all things Mile High is regularly used for.

Figuring out the attendance numbers from these things is damned near impossible, too. Is it 30,000 people or only 29,999? Or whatever the magic number is this year.

None of those things are covered by the TFR. It only applies to "ANY STADIUM HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF 30,000 OR MORE PEOPLE WHERE EITHER A REGULAR OR POST SEASON MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, OR NCAA DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL GAME IS OCCURRING," in addition to "NASCAR SPRINT CUP, INDY CAR, AND CHAMP SERIES RACES EXCLUDING QUALIFYING AND PRE-RACE EVENTS." Nothing about soccer, religious rallies, marching band competitions or Count Basie concerts.

 

[Matthew]

I am always waiting for someone to tow a banner over Royals Stadium during that one day a year: some years they will schedule their final pre-season game at home in their "real" stadium. Technically it is not a regular season game. So far I haven't seen anyone test that rule.

And the Chiefs are at home tonight for their final pre-season game. Maybe someone will fly over, probably not.

Starting this weekend NCAA football season begins.

I mentioned before that I use Garmin Pilot. It has a way to turn on and off the TFR boundaries for stadiums and race tracks. It doesn't show when the TFRs are active, but it does show where they are. That's a reasonable situational awareness help.

 

[Hank S]

There are probably some NFL stadiums that are used for little or nothing besides their NFL team's home games. With a total of 4 preseason games and 16 regular season games that is a total of 20 games or 10 home games for a team that does not make the playoffs. So out of 365 days in a year, it is very easy to not consider there is a game on one of those 10 days. It is just not an everyday event nor does everybody follow football and know the schedules. It is very easy to miss. Now consider that most other sports are less significant to the average American than pro football and you can see the problem.

The NFL plays most games on Sunday afternoon or Sunday night, or Monday night. And now on Thursday night. Playoff games are half on Saturday, too. How are visitors supposed to know in advance? Especially the crazy baseball schedules! So many games (160? 180?), every day of the week. I'm not gonna pour over the sectional looking for an itty bitty mark for a professional or college stadium that may or probably won't have a game when I'm coming through. You can bet your sweet patooty I won't be looking like that if I'm diverting for any reason.

And Nate, the TFRs aren't triggered by attendance but by stadium capacity--if it holds 30,000 people, I t's active regardless if the stands are mostly empty. Marshall Univ. stadium held 36,000 so Huntington was under TFRs every home game, but I don't think attendance much topped 20,000 the seven years I was flying there. But it was home, so I learned to ask around at the airport before I took off, and of course even FF would remind me. My one almost-encounter described above, the TFR was helpfully mentioned on the ATIS at the nearby Class D.

 

[denverpilot]

None of those things are covered by the TFR. It only applies to "ANY STADIUM HAVING A SEATING CAPACITY OF 30,000 OR MORE PEOPLE WHERE EITHER A REGULAR OR POST SEASON MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE, OR NCAA DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL GAME IS OCCURRING," in addition to "NASCAR SPRINT CUP, INDY CAR, AND CHAMP SERIES RACES EXCLUDING QUALIFYING AND PRE-RACE EVENTS." Nothing about soccer, religious rallies, marching band competitions or Count Basie concerts.

Well there ya go. I hadn't read it in a while.

Nice to know the government only protects certain groups in their never-ending quest for "safety". LOL.