Ferguson, Missouri: Federal Aviation Administration renews ban on low-flying aircraft

The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that flights were barred from operating below 3,000 feet over Ferguson, Mo., “to provide a safe environment for law enforcement activities.”

This notice, which is good through Aug. 25, came at the direction of Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D).

A similar ban on low-flying aircraft was issued last week at the request of the St. Louis County Police Department, which said it had asked for the restrictions because its helicopter was shot at during looting and unrest on Sunday night. That notice lasted through Monday.

In the days that have followed the initial ban, the unrest has only grown, and Nixon and other officials have stepped in to try and manage an increasingly dangerous series of confrontations between residents and heavily-armed police.

- Source:  http://www.washingtonpost.com