Aerial footage briefly showing Petco park and the Barrio Logan community.

[postscript]

You will recall during last October’s playoff game where the Padres were hosting the Dodgers, a drone flew over the stadium and caused a delay. That is a big no-no and makes it tough for drone pilots who abide by very specific guidelines administered by the FAA.

A couple of points, drone are not allowed to fly in RESTRICTED AREAS. Some venues fall within this category (Anaheim Stadium). Drones are not allowed to be flown when there is a game in progress – PERIOD. So, how was I able to capture this footage? First, I am a FAA certified drone pilot, which comes in handy if you are ever questioned. Most reliable drones are equipped with technology that allows you to launch. In this case, a message appeared on the controller that I needed permission from the San Diego airport (because it was in proximity) to launch. Once I certified my acceptance of the terms to fly, I was provided a code to unlock my aircraft.

Now, even though I was able to launch, Petco staff uses technology to detect when I drone is flying near or over the stadium. I was approached and informed drone flying was not allowed. You could argue the point as unlike RESTRICTED AREAS where flying is NEVER ALLOWED, Petco doesn’t control the airspace, even above their stadium, FAA controls it. So, as drone flying has increased in popularity, partly because of the aerial footage you can achieve, at best some buildings will create a geo-fence or radar blocking technology which prevents the drone from entering.