Immense recovery efforts are underway at the federal, state and local levels following Hurricane Helene and they require close coordination. The airspace around the recovery efforts in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee have high levels of aviation activity, including small airplanes, helicopters, and drones. The FAA’s goal at all times is to ensure safety and help facilitate this critical work.
At the request of local authorities or law enforcement, the Federal Aviation Administration can issue Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) to ensure safety for aircraft conducting Hurricane Helene rescue and recovery activities. These TFRs do not ban aircraft, including drones, from providing disaster relief and recovery assistance. State and local authorities may also enact local restrictions. Relief operations, including civilian and volunteer operations, may access the restricted airspace if they are coordinated with emergency responders. In a dynamic and quickly evolving environment like this, TFRs are constantly shifting and you can find the latest online here: https://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.html
Additionally, at the request of a state government, the FAA will issue an Airspace Coordination Area (ACA), which is an advisory for very specific circumstances—a heads up about an unusual situation and/or congestion that pilots should be aware of. An ACA does not restrict airspace, but provides pilots important guidance. You can find the latest online here: https://notams.aim.faa.gov/notamSearch/nsapp.html#/.
Additional information about recovery efforts:
- The FAA has embedded personnel at North Carolina’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to assist with airspace coordination, ensuring the safety of flight and priority access for emergency services.
- Many of the airports in the area are non-towered and pilots should use extreme caution when flying in the area. For the Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), general aviation pilots should not try to land without prior clearance from FEMA to ensure the safety of aircraft and personnel. Follow the airport's Facebook page for updates.
- The North Carolina Department of Aviation has stated that Asheville Regional Airport, Hickory Regional Airport and Foothills Regional Airport are hubs of Helene activity and for general aviation pilots. Please check for any flight restrictions before operating there.
- The volume of activity in the traffic patterns and ramp areas of these airports is very high due to a combination of fixed-wing, helicopter and drone operators. Please exercise extreme caution and always follow right-of-way rules due to the possible space constraints. For a review of procedures and operations at non-towered airports, please review FAA Advisory Circular 90-66B, Non-Towered Airport Flight Operations.
- Pilots should exercise extreme caution in eastern Tennessee due to numerous flight operations engaged in post Hurricane Helene disaster response and recovery efforts.
- Pilots planning to make a supply drop are encouraged to first coordinate with local community-based organizations that understand the airports’ ability and capacity to receive airdrops.
- Also consider tankering fuel through impacted airports to reduce the demand for fuel at these locations.
- If you are flying a drone to support recovery efforts, ensure you are flying under Part 107 or the statutory requirements for public aircraft. Crewed aircraft always have the right-of-way and most likely will not see your drone. Mountainous terrain makes see-and-avoid even harder.
- If you are a helicopter pilot, consider a safety refresher by watching a rotorcraft collective video on YouTube, including this video on sharing low-altitude airspace with drones.
Please be sure to follow our social media channels for further updates on Helene recovery efforts at www.faa.gov/social.
For Updates: https://www.faa.gov/airtraffic/flightinfo/hurricaneseason/operating-near-hurricane-helene-recovery-efforts