Super Bowl LVI took place on Sunday, February 13, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Both teams, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams, were considered underdogs for the season. So local fans were beyond excited to root for their favorite teams to min the championship, especially with the Rams playing at their home stadium in southwestern Los Angeles. After countless hours of preparation, the Rams came out victorious 20-23. The players and their coaches weren’t the only ones preparing for the big game, the city of Inglewood had a lot to do to make sure that everyone venturing out to SoFi Stadium had a safe and enjoyable time.

One measure taken to ensure the safety of the city was a drone ban. On February 2, 2022, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) for the city of Inglewood. The TFR would encompass a radius of 30 nautical miles, extending 18,000ft in altitude around SoFi Stadium. The restriction would remain in effect from 2:30 PM to 8:30 PM on the day of the game. The TFR would also ban drone operations within 1 nautical mile and 3,000ft in altitude around SoFi Stadium in the days leading up to the game. The US Department of Homeland Security, local police departments, and NFL Security were committed to providing the highest level of security for the Super Bowl. “Drone operators who enter the TFRs without permission could face drone confiscation, civil penalties that exceed $30,000, and potential criminal prosecution,” the FAA stated.

To get around the TFR, the NFL scheduled a Super Bowl themed drone show to take place over the weekend leading up to the game. Staged from the roof of the Los Angeles Convention Center, 500 mini LED drones took to the skies on Friday evening. On Saturday, the drones performed 3 shows starting at 7 PM, then 8:30 PM, and finally 10 PM. A little more than 10miles away from SoFi Stadium, well out of range of the TFR, the drone show was visible to anyone within a mile or so of the convention center.

Each of the 10 minute long drone shows portrayed images relating to this year’s game. The drones animated images of the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams team logos, the official Super Bowl LVI logo, a player holding a football, Xs and Os scattered on a field representing players, and even the Lombardi Trophy that would go on to be awarded to the Rams. The drones seamlessly morphed into each image to the delight of viewers below. Each drone animation ranged in size from 400ft high and 600ft wide, making them clearly visible.

Super Bowl revelers have come to expect drone entertainment over the last few years. This year, however, safety on the day of the game was of paramount concern. There were no Half Time show elements with drones, no drone media coverage, not even drone observations by law enforcement. But the drone shows put on display on Friday and Saturday were enough to satisfy those who had been expecting them. It marked the first time the NFL had orchestrated a drone show, and it was the perfect way to get everyone in the mood for Sunday’s exciting game.

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