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View Full Version : No-fly zone around Disneyland?



karl
09-09-2004, 06:58 AM
Rory Kennedy's Indian Point documentary mentions that Disneyland has a no-fly-zone. She stressed it again in an interview.

I recall this lapsed a few years ago, but may have been reinstated post-9/11. Does anybody know what the truth is here?

-- Karl

splashmtngurl
09-09-2004, 03:40 PM
you mean airplanes right? i never knew that you couldnt fly over DL but i would assume its because 1) if a plane were to crash there it could be catastrophic ;) and 2) low flying planes or crafts (parachute, byplane, hang glider and self made aircrafts) could be a hazard not only the park but to the pilot as well because DL does have some fairly tall structures. I dont know if i'm right or not in assuming that but regardless i still find it sort of silly that you cant fly over DL, assuming thats what you mean..

Disney Vault
09-09-2004, 03:55 PM
There was a video i saw on the internet and it said disney can get a lot of what they want from the government and one reason for this was to prevent those planes that have ads behind them.

WishUponAStar
09-09-2004, 04:10 PM
Rory Kennedy's Indian Point documentary mentions that Disneyland has a no-fly-zone. She stressed it again in an interview.

I recall this lapsed a few years ago, but may have been reinstated post-9/11. Does anybody know what the truth is here?

-- Karl
I dont know how official this answer is, but Im pretty sure that there does exist a "no fly" zone over the park to this day. I also think that there is an minimum altitude you have to be at to violate that zone as on several flights to Palm Springs from LAX, our plane did fly nearly directly over the park (I have the overhead pics somewhere too!).

Anaheim Im sure is fairly accomodating to Disneyland considering the money they bring to the area. I always notice the lack of aircraft overhead when Im at the park too. The no fly zone serves the same purpose as the berm - keeps the real world from intruding into the MAGIC! :D

TempoNZ
09-09-2004, 04:11 PM
I think it makes sense to have a no fly zone over DL and for that matter stadiums etc apart from authorised craft for safty etc.

In NZ our flight path rules are pretty strict as far as flying over and around cities ggoes. If I want to fly over a major city I must file a flight path and also contact the tower when i am about to enter the city airspace (You have to always file a flight path but as pilots will know they often change in the air but if you are going over a city you must contact the tower leting them know of the change etc). I've never been turned down but they could happily do so if they decide conditions etc mean it is dangerous or there is antoo many aircraft in the area. Personally I have no issue wih this it makes good sense and from memory it's meant we have never had a death of someone on the ground due to aircraft hitting a building etc.

Andrew
09-09-2004, 04:56 PM
I wanna see the aerial pics! The newest satellite photos are several years out of date.

BTW, in your sig: The character's name is "Inigo (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001597/)", not "Innigo".

Tony
09-09-2004, 06:16 PM
There is still a flight restriction, according to the FAA. It went into effect on March 18, 2003 at 20:00h GMT (noon local). Here are the relevant details:


!FDC 3/2123 (KZLA A0109/03) ZLA CA. FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ANAHEIM, CA. EFFECTIVE 0303182000 UTC (MARCH 18 AT 1200 LOCAL) UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PURSUANT TO RESTRICTIONS DETAILED IN SECTION 352 OF PUBLIC LAW 108-7, AND 14 CFR SECTION 99.7, SPECIAL SECURITY INSTRUCTIONS. AIRCRAFT FLIGHT OPERATIONS ARE PROHIBITED AT AND BELOW 3,000 FEET AGL, WITHIN A 3 NAUTICAL MILE RADIUS OF THE DISNEYLAND THEME PARK (334805N/1175517W OR THE SEAL BEACH /SLI/ 067 DEGREE RADIAL AT 6.7 NAUTICAL MILES. THIS RESTRICTION DOES NOT APPLY TO (A) THOSE AIRCRAFT AUTHORIZED BY ATC FOR OPERATIONAL OR SAFETY PURPOSES, INCLUDING AIRCRAFT ARRIVING OR DEPARTING FROM AN AIRPORT USING STANDARD AIR TRAFFIC PROCEDURES; (B) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, OR AEROMEDICAL FLIGHT OPERATIONS THAT ARE IN CONTACT WITH ATC. THOSE WHO MEET ANY OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA MAY APPLY FOR A WAIVER TO THESE RESTRICTIONS: (A) FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES OF THE VENUE INCLUDING THE TRANSPORTATION OF EQUIPMENT OR OFFICIALS OF THE GOVERNING BODY; (B) FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY PURPOSES OF THE VENUE. INFORMATION REGARDING WAIVER APPLICATIONS CAN BE OBTAINED FROM THE FAA WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.FAA.GOV/ATS/ATA/WAIVER, OR BY CALLING 571-227-1322.

(To see the NOTAM [Notice to Airmen], go to https://pilotweb.nas.faa.gov/distribution/atcscc.html, select Radius Search, and do a 20NM search from the FUL Location Identifier [Fullerton Airport])

splashmtngurl
09-09-2004, 07:42 PM
Yeah Disney gets alot of stuff handed to them by the government. Since disney employs 40,000 ( a huge portion of California's poopulation) people the government gives in to them a little more. I think that disney should extend the monorail out through the hotels. I bet the local government would let them extend it out pretty far!

mjformenotyou
09-09-2004, 08:02 PM
Yeah Disney gets alot of stuff handed to them by the government. Since disney employs 40,000 ( a huge portion of California's poopulation) people the government gives in to them a little more. I think that disney should extend the monorail out through the hotels. I bet the local government would let them extend it out pretty far!

The population of California is about 35 million, so 40,000 isn't exactly a huge portion, but the idea is there.. Disney is one of the largest corporations (dare I say.. cartel?) in the country, and every decision the government makes is not without consideration of the few companies essentially running the economy.

karl
09-09-2004, 08:30 PM
Thanks everyone!

Tony - good reference. I remember there "wasnt" for awhile, given the number of banner flights back a few years back. Looks like they put something back in place.

I have seen some Air Force pilots pushing cargo planes low over the Matterhorn every now and then - I guess the DoD enjoys the liberty.

-- Karl

sdfilmcritic
09-09-2004, 10:47 PM
But what about Tinkerbell? Is her flight plan banned, too?

Disney Vault
09-10-2004, 03:28 PM
Yeah Disney gets alot of stuff handed to them by the government. Since disney employs 40,000 ( a huge portion of California's poopulation) people the government gives in to them a little more. I think that disney should extend the monorail out through the hotels. I bet the local government would let them extend it out pretty far!
What are you talkign about. Disney could extend the monorail anytime but it would be too expensive. Are you talking about the government fundding it too?

Wesley815
09-10-2004, 07:45 PM
Yeah Disney gets alot of stuff handed to them by the government. Since disney employs 40,000 ( a huge portion of California's poopulation)Ummm... ok. :rolleyes:

I'll just let her post speak for itself.

Austrinken
09-11-2004, 12:43 AM
you mean airplanes right? i never knew that you couldnt fly over DL but i would assume its because 1) if a plane were to crash there it could be catastrophic ;) and 2) low flying planes or crafts (parachute, byplane, hang glider and self made aircrafts) could be a hazard not only the park but to the pilot as well because DL does have some fairly tall structures. I dont know if i'm right or not in assuming that but regardless i still find it sort of silly that you cant fly over DL, assuming thats what you mean..

There exists now a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) that extends within a 3 nautical mile radius around the Disneyland Resort, at and below 3,000' above ground level. Simply put, this means that unless you have permission from air traffic control (ATC), you may not fly within in that three mile radius unless you are more than 3,000' above the ground. Planes that are being vectored by ATC are routinely sent right over the resort, and this is no big deal because they are under positive control and being directed by the controlling agency (SoCal Tracon) to do so.

The term "no-fly zone" is often thrown around with improper meaning. I think when people think of no-fly zones, they think of an area where all flying is prohibited. This is actually called a Prohibited Area, and such airspace is normally reserved for Presidential business (the airspace around the White House is Prohibited and is therefore off-limits). Any Restricted area (including a TFR, such as the one around the DLR) may be entered as long as the pilot has permission from the controlling agency.

Specifically responding to your comments about DL having some tall structures, regulations exist for *any* populated area, not just the Disneyland Resort. An aircraft may not be flown lower than 1,000' (unless directed to do so by ATC) above the highest obstacle in *any* populated area, so there is not a specific "Disneyland minimum altitude" that must be adhered to. If the area is densely populated (such as Anaheim), an aircraft must remain at least 1,000' above all ground obstacles, so the lowest altitude permitted above DL (assuming the aircraft is within 2,000' horizontally of the 147' Matterhorn) would be 1,147' above ground level.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
09-13-2004, 02:38 PM
My DH is a commercial pilot and he flies in and out of LAX and SNA a lot, he said he has never been given a flight plan that puts him over DLR

Disney Vault
09-13-2004, 03:00 PM
I cant beleive how small dl looks from the air and it takes a while to spot when you are flying on a comercial plane and dont know when its coming up.

Austrinken
09-13-2004, 09:42 PM
My DH is a commercial pilot and he flies in and out of LAX and SNA a lot, he said he has never been given a flight plan that puts him over DLR

I am a private pilot (IFR rated), and while my IFR flight plans usually do not go over Disneyland (mostly just because of area congestion), oftentimes I am vectored to KSNA right over the DLR.

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
09-14-2004, 04:26 PM
Don't know what those letters mean, hehe HE is the pilot not me, I was a flight attendant. But I believe you.
He should be getting there this evening, I will ask him how close he got to the park, from the air. By the way, the jerk gets to go to the parks tomorrow! Long layover and he took his AP with him! :mad:

efoxx
09-14-2004, 05:02 PM
My DH is a commercial pilot and he flies in and out of LAX and SNA a lot, he said he has never been given a flight plan that puts him over DLR
That's because neither of the airports approaches are close enough. the closes is SNA, and the aproach to the SW facing runway crosses I5 about 5 miles south of Dland. Fullerton is the closest airport (if it is still open) and you do sometimes come pretty close to either Dland or Knotts on your way in or out. the TFR as it is called is actually pretty useless from a safety stand point. it was inacted to help "prevent terrorism. but without some way of bringing down a plane prior to it reaching Dland, which is less then two minutes by air with most small planes, less then a minute for a small jet from outside the TFR then it is worthless. the TFR exists solely for Disney to prevent people from flying advertisments over the park. the same thing exists in WDW BTW. but you won't find them many other places. it takes quite a lot of political pull to get one, even mayor Daley in Chicago couldn't do it for the downtown area.

oh BTW I am an Air Traffic Controller :eek:

Austrinken
09-15-2004, 10:16 AM
Hey efoxx, are you ATCT, ARTCC, or Tracon?

MommyTo3Boys1Girl
09-15-2004, 12:57 PM
He ended up going to ABQ last night, trip changed because of the closure at LAX, anyway.