Posted on 08/04/2025 11:42:16 AM PDT by Red Badger
U.S. fighter jets scrambled to intercept unauthorized civilian aircraft detected over Trump’s Bedminster golf club in New Jersey while a temporary flight restriction (TFR) zone was in place.
The civilian aircraft entered the restricted airspace at approximately 12:50 p.m. ET on Sunday.
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) used flares to get the pilot’s attention.
According to reports, this wasn’t the first intercept and multiple incursions occurred over the weekend.
Newsweek has more:
The interception on Sunday afternoon was the second in the restriction zone that day, and the fifth of that weekend.
NORAD stressed that the flares they used, which may have been spotted by some members of the public, “are employed with the highest regard for the safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground.”
“Flares burn out quickly and completely and there is no danger to the people on the ground when dispensed,” the organization said.
It also warned pilots to check fly zone updates before taking off. “General aviation pilots are reminded to verify all Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) and Fly Informed before every flight,” it said.
Trump spent the weekend at Bedminster and returned to the White House late on Sunday night, according to MSN.
“Over the weekend, a total of seven general aviation aircraft violated Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey. In addition to three unauthorized incursions yesterday, there were four violations today, including one requiring an intercept by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) fighter aircraft,” NORAD said in a statement.
“General aviation pilots are reminded that TFR procedures are mandatory and to verify all Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) and Fly Informed before every flight; in the instance of the Bedminster, New Jersey region, specifically FAA NOTAMs 9839, 9840, 9841 and 9842,” it added.
CBS News provided further details:
NORAD, which noted previously that 11 aircraft violated the same airspace over July 4 weekend, urged pilots to pay attention to Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) issued by the FAA.
“Ignorance is not a defense,” NORAD warned before the weekend when announcing the airspace restrictions.
The command routinely issues temporary flight restriction (TFR) zones for Mr. Trump’s Bedminster retreat as well as his property at Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Air Force fighter jets have also intercepted civilian aircraft flying in the temporarily restricted airspace over Mr. Trump’s Florida home this year, after the president took office on Jan. 20.
If, God forbid, there is another attempt on Trump, the NOTAM may need to include a paragraph on Deadly Force Authorized inside a certain radius.
“Is there a penalty for flying into restricted airspace?”
Possible fines and losing license. Depends on circumstances.
“I would think that anyone who has a small plane near Bedminster knows that Trump lives there even through he is not there all the time.”
TEMPORARY Flight Restriction.
What is legal one day may be illegal the next.
I see the woke haven't yet gotten to that one...
Charge the GA pilots the cost to deploy the fighter jets like rescue choppers and I’ll bet way more start watching for TFRs prior to their joyrides. No excuse for that. Bedminster, NJ and Sterling, VA should be well known to pilots by now. Allentown, PA was there as well the same day if they bothered to easily look up the published TFRs.
Thanks for the info. If Trump was there almost all the time, private pilots would know to avoid that airspace. Since Trump is only there once in a while, it seems to me all the more reason to check before taking off.
I guess it’s possible that the status of the airspace could be changed after a private pilot takes off. If that happened, then it would not be his fault.
They need to shoot one or two down and the flights would stop very quickly and there would be no repeat offenders.
Maybe one “shoot down” would cure the problem?
Oh, they did. It was changed to "Notices to Air Missions". The Trump administration changed it back.
I can speak to that. I used to know some amateur pilots who got up only a few times per year and often flew around the same areas. A pilot in that situation not looking to see if a TFR is in place might be like a car driver who lives near the end of a dead end street not looking for other cars when leaving the driveway.
But of course they did. /s
Good analogy. Most of these instances are just an innocent pilot making an error, nothing nefarious.
Most of these instances are just an innocent pilot making an error, nothing nefarious.
Let’s try another angle. You know the Deep State would do anything to rid themselves of President Trump. They would work any angle they could.
So why wouldn’t they do a few probing, seemingly innocent flights into the airspace in Bedminster?
When you have an enemy, you probe their defenses.
Yes. Two F-16s cross in front of you.
That’s an excellent idea! We should murder some hapless pilot who screwed up as he’s flying his Cessna 150. That really made the Cubans day to act that way. It’s not really an American value.
A hapless pilot ... with a pilot license.
Notice to Airpeople (NOTAPs)............Unless they crash........
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