14-03-2025
Trump visits to Palm Beach: 5 things to know about flight restrictions when he's here
With Palm Beach resident Donald Trump's return to the White House, Palm Beach County once again is experiencing the effects of presidential-level flight restrictions imposed during each of his visits to his Mar-a-Lago Club.
The VIP-level temporary flight restrictions issued by the Federal Aviation Administration for presidential travel — any president, to any location in the United States — include a set of rules for aviators to follow.
When they don't follow those rules, it can lead to penalties for the pilot — and an interesting experience for those on the ground, who may be able to spot F-16 fighter jets rushing to intercept a wayward plane.
Here are five things to know about the flight restrictions for Trump's visits to Palm Beach.
The FAA uses temporary flight restrictions to restrict how aircraft operate over certain areas.
The restrictions can be issued for purposes such as firefighting or rescue operations; security purposes, including to protect the president, vice president and dignitaries; safety reasons like gas spills or volcanic eruptions; space operations; and national defense, according to the FAA.
The "VIP movement" flight restrictions issued for Trump's visits to Palm Beach include two rings of protection.
The inner ring is a 10 nautical mile radius where most flights are banned with the exception of approved law enforcement and air ambulance or other emergency flights, and regularly scheduled cargo and commercial passenger jets, according to FAA advisories. All emergency operations have to coordinate with air traffic control before take-off.
More movement is allowed with the 30 nm radius area, or outer ring, of the temporary flight restrictions. Aircraft can pass through but "not loiter," FAA advisories say. All aircraft that do pass through the outer ring must have a specific flight plan filed with air traffic control, which will issue the plane a code. The pilot has to stay in contact with air traffic control throughout their time passing through the restricted area, the FAA says.
There are two primary places where people can look for temporary flight restrictions.
The first is the FAA's TFR website, where the agency lists every temporary flight restriction along with links to details.
Pilots also can check the latest Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs, on another FAA website, the Federal NOTAM System.
The FAA issues airspace notices for anything that could affect flight operations, including air shows, military exercises and airport construction, the agency said.
The FAA advises pilots to check 25 nautical miles to either side of a flight's route to make sure they are aware of all notices in the area.
As of March 13, there are flight restrictions in Florida ahead of Trump's next visit to Palm Beach, planned space operations around Cape Canaveral this weekend, activity around Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville and long-standing restrictions in the airspace over Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida.
Temporary flight restrictions and NOTAMs are also posted to the FAA's social media accounts, particularly the FAA Safety Briefing account on X, formerly known as Twitter, which can be found as @FAASafetyBrief.
The FAA investigates all reported temporary flight restriction violations. Pilots who violate TFRs can face sanctions ranging from warnings or fines to certificate suspensions or revocations. The sanction depends on the circumstances of the violation.
When a pilot violates the restrictions and does not respond via radio to air traffic control, North American Aerospace Defense Command sends F-16 fighter jets to intercept that plane.
The fighter jet will pass the plane on the pilot's left side about 500 feet away while rocking its wings, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
The jets may also release flares to get a pilot's attention, NORAD said.
NORAD has sent jets to investigate more than 20 "tracks of interest" in the Palm Beach area since Trump took office Jan. 20, the agency said in a news release.
The most recent happened about 1:15 p.m. March 9, NORAD said.
The FAA posts flight restrictions in a list and as a map. The map displays all types of temporary flight restrictions and shows the radius around each protected area.
Click here to see the map of current temporary flight restrictions.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: What to know about flight restrictions when Trump visits Palm Beach
