Airspace/Nautical Closures in International Waters

[wanttaja]

At a biweekly meeting of some of my fellow retired space engineers, some discussion arose concerning the closure of airspace for space launches.

I get that the US can enforce closures in US airspace...but doesn't the FAA's authority end at international waters?

So if SpaceX is launching a rocket and I'm circling in my Fly Baby with a camera 13 miles off the coast, can the FAA do anything to me?

Ron Wanttaja

 

[Jim_R]

Wikipedia and Google's AI summary (which probably comes from Wikipedia) say that the FAA has authority over "nearby international waters" as delegated by the ICAO. Seems legit.

 

[jonnyjetprop]

Warning Areas. ATC will not allow IFR flights into the area. VFR are on their own to avoid.

 

[flyingron]

Warning Areas. ATC will not allow IFR flights into the area. VFR are on their own to avoid.

This. These would be Restricted Areas if the FAA had the power to restrict them.

 

[Bell206]

So if SpaceX is launching a rocket and I'm circling in my Fly Baby with a camera 13 miles off the coast, can the FAA do anything to me?

Technically no as beyond the 12 mile territorial limit you are flyimg under ICAO Annex 2 rules. However, you may want to extend your flight out to 25 miiles to get beyond the contiguous zone (12-24 miles) which gives the US some limited enforcement powers. Regardless, being the aircraft is N reg still gives the FAA oversight authorization no matter where you fly in the world.

 

[kkoran]

It depends what the NOTAM says. There are currently some that specifically exclude airspace over international waters. Sometimes they make NOTAMs applicable to US registered aircraft and US licensed pilots in international airspace or even another country's airspace.