Scare at Mar-a-Lago after yet another plane violates airspace, causing F-16 fighter jets to scramble
A civilian aircraft violated the restricted airspace above Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on Saturday, according to military officials.
Two F-16 fighter jets scrambled to respond to the plane at about 4:20 p.m., and flares were also fired to get the pilot’s attention, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
‘Adherence to [temporary flight restriction] procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the president.’
The aircraft was escorted out of the restriction zone.
“The flares, which may have been visible to the public, are used with the highest regard for safety, burn out quickly and completely, and pose no danger to people on the ground,” read a statement from NORAD.
NORAD said that there had been multiple violations of the restricted airspace by “general aviation aircraft” earlier in the week.
The temporary flight restrictions are issued by the Federal Aviation Administration whenever the president is visiting his residence in Florida. When a violation is detected, air traffic controllers warn pilots, and fighter jets are scrambled to intercept planes if they do not respond.
There have been about 40 instances of airspace violations near Mar-a-Lago since Trump took office in January, NORAD says.
After one violation in March, NORAD commander Gen. Gregory Guillot expressed frustration that pilots aren’t attentive enough to the alerts about avoiding restricted airspace, called NOTAMs.
“Adherence to [temporary flight restriction] procedures is essential to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the president,” said Guillot in a statement at the time. “The procedures are not optional.”
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“Trust us on this … you don’t want to spend your Thanksgiving explaining to the #FAA or local law enforcement that you didn’t check your NOTAMs,” read a statement from NORAD on Wednesday. “#NORAD has already escorted one general aviation pilot out of the #FAA restricted airspace near Palm Beach today. Don’t be next, check NOTAMs before every flight.”
NORAD is a joint organization between Canadian and U.S. forces to monitor and defend North American airspace. It was first established in 1957 and includes high-ranking members of the Royal Canadian Air Force as well as the U.S. Air Force.
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