Black Hawk helicopters brought in to beef up Super Bowl security: Army aircraft will help enforce 30-mile no-fly zone around the stadium
- Two Black Hawk helicopters will circle Houston's NRG Stadium on Sunday
- The Black Hawks are part of US Customs and Border Patrol's security measures
- There's a temporary 30-mile restricted airspace around the stadium
Black Hawk helicopters will monitor the skies above Houston on Super Bowl Sunday.
US Customs and Border Patrol will have eight aircraft performing security operations in the area.
Black Hawk and Airbus AS350 helicopters, as well as Cessna C-550 Citation jets to protect Houston's NRG Stadium.
Workers in California will monitor air-traffic radar in the area and alert the choppers as well as the division's jets if anything enters the 30-mile temporary flight restriction around the stadium, the Houston Chronicle reports.
No drone pilots should be flying near the stadium. The FAA, which sets aircraft rules, has barred drones temporarily for a 34.5-mile radius around the venue.
Breaking the rule could mean up to a year in jail and a $100,000 fine.
Two Black Hawk helicopters from the Detroit-based Selfridge Air National Guard Base will help monitor the skies about Houston's NRG Stadium during Super Bowl Sunday
'Any time you have large crowds, there's a potential there for criminal activity.
'We have a multitude of law enforcement agencies, so we will work together to improve our mutual capabilities', said David Grantham, a pilot with Air and Marine Operations, a component of Customs and Border Protection.
While Super Bowl 51 has the potential to bring business to the city, it also has the chance of being a target for terrorists.
'It's a part of America', said Phil Petro, a US Customs and Border Protection Air Interdiction agent from Detroit, on why the event is a potential terrorist target.
'Nothing says more than the love of America for our sports and for the Super Bowl'.
Workers in California will monitor air-traffic radar in the area and alert the eight aircrafts if anything enters the 30-mile temporary flight restriction around the stadium
More than 40 agencies will be working together to ensure the safety of the 73,000 expected to attend the event. The NFL has hired 4,000 private security personnel to assist those efforts
Petro will be flying one of the two Black Hawk helicopters on Sunday. He has flown in three prior Super Bowls.
The Black Hawks are from the Detroit-based Selfridge Air National Guard Base.
Each pilot had to have a minimum of 1,500 hours flight experience before starting the job.
The government identified the Super Bowl as a top priority for security.
More than 40 agencies will be working together to ensure the safety of the 73,000 expected to attend the event.
The NFL has hired 4,000 private security personnel to assist those efforts.
This includes US Customs and Border Security, whose agents have been screening trucks and drivers with high tech x-ray equipment, as well as checking manifests and paperwork to ensure agents know who is and what is coming into the stadium.
Once those trucks are screened, police escort the vehicles to a secured area.
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