Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta flight restriction: no drones within 4 miles mornings and evenings through October 11
Three FAA NOTAMs close a 4-nautical-mile circle around Balloon Fiesta Park, surface to 8,000 feet MSL, from 5:30 a.m. to noon and 4 to 8 p.m. Mountain time each day through October 11.
By Joel Kelly
Decision brief
If you are near Albuquerque this week, keep the drone grounded inside the circle during both daily windows. LAANC does not override it; only Albuquerque Tower can authorize a flight. Outside those hours the restriction is not active, but normal airspace rules still apply, and Balloon Fiesta Park sits under busy airport airspace.
- Radius
- 4 NM
- Daily windows
- 5:30 a.m. to noon, 4 to 8 p.m.
- NOTAMs
- FDC 6/5920, 6/6087, 6/6191
Surface to 8,000 ft MSL around Balloon Fiesta Park
Mountain time, through October 11
14 CFR 91.145 aviation event restrictions
The restriction
A 4-mile circle, two windows a day.
The FAA issued three temporary flight restriction NOTAMs for the 2026 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta under 14 CFR 91.145, the rule for aviation events. Each covers a circle with a 4-nautical-mile radius centered at 35 degrees 11 minutes 48 seconds north, 106 degrees 35 minutes 48 seconds west, near Balloon Fiesta Park, from the surface up to and including 8,000 feet MSL. No pilot may operate an aircraft inside it unless Albuquerque Tower authorizes the flight.
The restriction runs in two daily windows. NOTAM FDC 6/5920 is active from 1130 to 1800 UTC each day from October 2 through October 11, which is 5:30 a.m. to noon Mountain Daylight Time. NOTAMs FDC 6/6087 and 6/6191 cover 2200 to 0200 UTC daily from October 3 through October 11, which is 4 to 8 p.m. Mountain time. The FAA issued 6/6191 to replace an earlier NOTAM that had an error in its text.
Enforcement
Federal and local agencies say they are watching.
According to an FBI press release reported by City Desk ABQ, the FBI's Albuquerque Division, the FAA, and Albuquerque police are coordinating enforcement and will use counter-drone technology authorized under the SAFER SKIES Act. The FBI said violators face FAA enforcement, including drone confiscation, loss of pilot certificates, and civil fines up to $75,000 per violation, and that criminal penalties can include fines up to $100,000 and up to one year in federal prison. DroneXL reports the FBI release calls a disabled Remote ID broadcast a separate federal violation and says authorities detect drones whether Remote ID is broadcasting or not.
The FBI asks anyone who sees an unauthorized drone to report it to 911, on-site law enforcement, or the FBI at (800) CALL-FBI. The only drones spectators should expect overhead are the Fiesta's own sanctioned shows.
Source file
Verify the reporting
- FAA TFR: FDC NOTAM 6/5920, 2026 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (morning window)
- FAA TFR: FDC NOTAM 6/6087, 2026 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (evening window)
- FAA TFR: FDC NOTAM 6/6191, 2026 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (evening window, replaces 6/5921)
- City Desk ABQ: Drones grounded as Balloon Fiesta takes flight (October 1, 2026)
- DroneXL: FBI's Balloon Fiesta no-drone zone runs on a clock (October 4, 2026)
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