FAA bars drones over part of Anchorage Tuesday during Trump's Alaska visit

The Federal Aviation Administration will bar most drone flights over part of Anchorage for nearly seven hours Tuesday, as Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Alaska for a rally in Wasilla.

The restriction, issued under FAA NOTAM 6/8772, takes effect at 3:35 pm Alaska time Oct. 13 and runs until 10:15 pm. It covers a 2-nautical-mile radius around a point in Anchorage, from the ground up to 2,000 feet.

The restriction applies only to drones. It does not ground crewed aircraft, close an airport or create a broader no-fly zone over Anchorage or Wasilla.

The FAA classified the area as national defense airspace. Federal authorities may track, disrupt or even destroy a drone considered a credible safety or security threat, and operators who violate the restriction can face civil or criminal penalties.

Some operations are still allowed, including national defense, homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, disaster response, event support and some commercial work, but only with an approved waiver through the FAA's system.

Trump's rally is scheduled at the Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla. The notice doesn't name him, but its hours line up with the visit.

Earlier FAA advisories for Anchorage and Wasilla had warned of possible security zones stretching 10 to 30 nautical miles and up to 18,000 feet, but the agency said those were not for flight planning. As of Saturday night, the FAA's live restriction list showed only the Anchorage drone notice, with no broader Wasilla restriction in place. That could change before Tuesday.

Pilots and drone operators should check the FAA's temporary flight restriction site and current notices before flying in the area.