← Back to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Drone Rules for Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Virginia Beach, Virginia (VA)
• United States
4005 Sandpiper Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23456, USA
Lat: 36.688 • Lng: -75.9218
Rules Edit History: Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Showing changes between revisions.
Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 8:40 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Back Bay NWR with NAS Oceana F/A-18 0-ft AGL LAANC grid, loggerhead sea turtle nesting, and FACSFAC W-72 MOA context.
Moderation feedback
Approved
Confidence: 0.95
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibiting drone operations within national wildlife refuges. The added context regarding the refuge's proximity to NAS Oceana's Class D airspace, the presence of loggerhead sea turtle nesting sites, and the FACSFAC W-72 Military Operations Area enhances understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
Changed fields
Mapped shape change
Click to load this change into the shared map viewer here.
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | USFWS prohibits drones on Back Bay NWR. The Virginia Beach barrier island refuge is adjacent to NAS Oceana Class D and the active Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility (FACSFAC) MOA. |
| Mapped shapes | — | 2f9b2302-5ff0-4d43-b3b6-498a2e43af7b |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Back Bay NWR, Virginia **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210; NAS Oceana (NTU) Class D and military airspace create severe dual-restriction complexity. ### Airspace / Site Context - NAS Oceana (NTU) Class D is ~5 NM northwest; F/A-18 Hornet training approaches operate at low altitude over the Back Bay corridor - FACSFAC VACAPES Operating Area includes Warning Areas W-72 offshore; UAS pilots must track activation status - Loggerhead sea turtle nesting (May-October) and piping plover nesting (April-August) both require ESA protection on the ocean beach ### Key Rules - LAANC required near NAS Oceana Class D; most grid squares over the refuge authorize 0 ft AGL due to the F/A-18 approaches - Military jet traffic below 500 ft AGL is frequent -- drone launch creates severe collision risk without ATC coordination - USFWS Special Use Permit required; military coordination with NAS Oceana airspace management required simultaneously ### Source - USFWS Back Bay: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/back-bay
Show inline change markers
+ ## Drone Rules - Back Bay NWR, Virginia + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210; NAS Oceana (NTU) Class D and military airspace create severe dual-restriction complexity. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - NAS Oceana (NTU) Class D is ~5 NM northwest; F/A-18 Hornet training approaches operate at low altitude over the Back Bay corridor + - FACSFAC VACAPES Operating Area includes Warning Areas W-72 offshore; UAS pilots must track activation status + - Loggerhead sea turtle nesting (May-October) and piping plover nesting (April-August) both require ESA protection on the ocean beach + + ### Key Rules + - LAANC required near NAS Oceana Class D; most grid squares over the refuge authorize 0 ft AGL due to the F/A-18 approaches + - Military jet traffic below 500 ft AGL is frequent -- drone launch creates severe collision risk without ATC coordination + - USFWS Special Use Permit required; military coordination with NAS Oceana airspace management required simultaneously + + ### Source + - USFWS Back Bay: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/back-bay +