Presidential Air Space

[squeegee]

This news item relates that two small planes were intercepted when they crossed into President Bush’s 10 mile restricted airspace as he attended a fundraising event near Seattle.

Does the President now have his own personal no-fly zone that follows him everywhere? Is this measure new?

Do any other officials get thier own no-fly zone? Can they join the “10 mile wide” club?

Thanks.

[David_Simmons]

I think it has always been the case that Airforce 1 has been the subject of special flight restrictions on other aircraft. Advisories and NOTAMS (Notices To Airmen) about temporary restricted areas around accident sites, military exercises, Presidential flights etc. are quite ordinary.

[squeegee]

Sure, I’ve heard about flight restrictions around the White House and Air Force 1, but this was the President attending a private fundraiser in Seattle, and there was still a no-fly apparently following the Prez around town. This seem quite different.

[Pork_Rind]

Yes, the president and other high-ranking officials have their own no fly zones called ‘TFRs’ for ‘temporary flight restrictions’. These TFRs have caused lots of problems for general aviation as they often pop up with little notice, with poorly worded descriptions of the restriction as well as inconsistent dissemination of the notices. That’s one reason why we hear about these pilots accidentally flying through prohibited airspace.

From the AOPA website

“The Presidential movement notams for the Redmond area were almost impossible to decipher,” said AOPA President Phil Boyer. "AOPA staff spent hours poring over these complex notams and couldn’t understand what pilots were expected to do.

“And it was no wonder. We found some of the notams had missing text and errors, including incorrect latitude/longitude coordinates. FAA reissued some of the notams multiple times after we pointed out the errors, including a no-fly zone that covered nine times more surface area than it should have,” Boyer said.

… and …

“If AOPA’s technical staff, who look at notams with a magnifying glass every day, has these kind of problems, how in the world can the FAA and security officials expect pilots to understand and comply with the TFRs?” Boyer continued. “It’s saying the obvious, but apparently we have to: Notams must be timely, accurate, and understandable.”

[Kent_Clark]

It doesn’t matter whether the President is going to a public event, a private event or on vacation. It doesn’t matter whether he’s on the big Air Force 1, the smaller executive-type jet he uses on some trips or Marine One (the helicopter). There have always been restrictions on flight space and airport use by other aircraft.

I’m willing to bet those restrictions have been tightened since 9/11, but the idea is not new.

[av8rmike]

*Originally posted by kunilou *
**I’m willing to bet those restrictions have been tightened since 9/11, but the idea is not new. **

They have. The AOPA’s page on flight restrictions has been constantly updated since Sept. 11. The restrictions (called “temporary,” but more or less permanent now) tell aircraft to avoid airspace near anywhere the President goes, or may want to go; also including nuclear power plants, dams, refineries, industrial complexes, military facilities, stadiums, Disneyworld, inanimate objects, animate objects, the surface of the Earth, and the sky.