Talk about a Sunday Funday gone sideways! Two small aircraft wandered into restricted airspace right above President Donald Trump's Bedminster golf club, and the response was absolutely jaw dropping. NORAD scrambled F-16 fighter jets to intercept both planes and escort them out of the area, as first reported here.
Let that sink in for a moment. Armed military jets were dispatched to chase down a couple of civilian aircraft buzzing around New Jersey on a quiet August afternoon. The Continental U.S. NORAD Region, operating out of Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, confirmed the entire incident in an official statement.
So what happened exactly? The FAA had set up temporary flight restrictions around Bedminster because the President was on site. Trump touched down at his famous golf resort on the evening of August 7 and was attending the LIV Golf New York tournament, which ran from August 6 through August 9. He was planning to head back to Washington later that Sunday.
Apparently, two general aviation pilots either missed the memo or completely ignored their pre-flight homework. Every pilot in America is required to check Notices to Airmen before taking off. These notices clearly spell out where you absolutely cannot fly. And yet, here we are.
Video footage popped up online showing one of the F-16s closing in on what looked like a small Cessna near Jefferson Township, just outside Bedminster. Picture a massive military fighter jet pulling up alongside a tiny little airplane. That pilot probably needed a change of pants after seeing an armed warplane on their wing.
NORAD laid out exactly what pilots should do if they find themselves getting intercepted. Immediately get on radio frequency 121.5 or 243.0, turn the plane around, and wait for further instructions. Pretty simple stuff that you'd hope nobody ever has to use.
Here's the kicker, though. NORAD refused to say whether the pilots simply made a mistake or were doing something more concerning. They punted that determination over to the FAA, which will presumably investigate the whole situation. Those pilots could be facing some serious consequences depending on what investigators find.
Temporary flight restrictions around presidential locations are absolutely nothing new. The FAA issues them routinely whenever the Commander in Chief is on the move. They get published well ahead of time through official channels. There is literally no excuse for not knowing about them.
NORAD itself is a joint operation between the United States and Canada, running an extensive network of radar systems, satellites, and fighter aircraft to keep North American skies secure. When someone violates restricted airspace near the President, the response is swift and overwhelming.
Bottom line? If you are a pilot and the President of the United States is anywhere near your flight path, maybe double check those NOTAMs before firing up the engine. Otherwise, you might find yourself staring down the barrel of an F-16, and that is one encounter nobody wants on their flight log.
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