Latest news with #FighterJets
CBS News
04-08-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Fighter jets scrambled, flares fired after planes violate Trump airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey
Fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a civilian plane Sunday after it entered restricted airspace over President Trump's property in Bedminster, New Jersey, the North American Aerospace Defense Command said, one of seven aircraft to violate the airspace over the weekend. Three civilian planes flew in the restricted airspace Saturday, and there were four more violations on Sunday, including one that was intercepted by fighter aircraft, NORAD said in a statement. Flares were deployed to get the pilot's attention, NORAD said on social media, and the plane was safely escorted out of the area by NORAD aircraft. "The flares – which may have been visible to the public – are employed with the highest regard for the safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground," NORAD said in a separate statement. "Flares burn out quickly and completely and there is no danger to the people on the ground when dispensed." According to the president's schedule, Mr. Trump was at Bedminster on Sunday and scheduled to leave Sunday evening for the White House. 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.
Daily Mail
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fighter jets scrambled to intercept plane over Trump's NJ golf course
Fighter jets were scrambled to President Donald Trump's New Jersey golf course on Sunday when a rogue aircraft breached the temporary flight restriction zone. The unidentified pilot flew into the airspace above the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster at around 2.50pm and was quickly escorted out of the area by North American Aerospace Defense Command jets, the agency announced. It had to use flares to draw the pilot's attention, but NORAD assured the public the flares 'are employed with the highest regard for the safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground.' The flares also burn out quickly and completely, so there is no danger to those on the ground. The Sunday afternoon incursion marked the second of the day, after three other unauthorized incursions occurred the day before. By Sunday night, NORAD announced that the total number of unauthorized flight incursions while President Trump was spending the weekend at his New Jersey club rose to seven. Officials are now urging pilots to be more careful and to better plan out their trips as it does not appear the pilots had nefarious intentions in breaching the secure airspace. 'General aviation pilots are reminded to verify all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Notice to Airmen and fly informed before every flight,' NORAD urged. It said all of the most recent information can be found at The agency has previously stressed how important it is for pilots to avoid violating temporary flight restriction zones. 'All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to restricted airspace, including reviewing new and existing FAA NOTAMs that impact their flight plans and activities. 'Adhering to FAA-restricted airspace protocols is mandatory, regardless of geographic region, airframe or aircrew.' The president had spent his weekend at the Bedminster golf club, and returned to the White House late Sunday night. Despite the security breaches, Trump seemed to be in a good mood later in the day as he found out that actress Sydney Sweeny is a registered Republican. Daily Mail asked the president for his reaction to Sweeney's surprise voter registration after he touched down in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, and the president didn't shy away from his excitement. 'Oh, now I love her ad,' Trump responded. 'You'd be surprised at how many people are Republican. That's one I wouldn't have known, but I'm glad you told me that,' he continued. 'If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.' Daily Mail previously revealed that Sweeney registered with the Republican Party of Florida in Monroe County last June, according to public voter records. The reveal comes as Sweeney's controversial advertising campaign with American Eagle sparked intense backlash among liberals who accused it of subtly promoting white supremacy and eugenics. But the controversy led many to leap to Sweeney's defense, pointing out that the reference to 'great genes/ jeans' was a play on words about Sweeney's good looks and the denim line.
Daily Mail
04-08-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fighter jets scrambled to Trump's New Jersey golf course as president's trip interrupted by SEVEN rogue aircraft
Fighter jets were scrambled to President Donald Trump 's New Jersey golf course on Sunday when a rogue aircraft breached the temporary flight restriction zone. The unidentified pilot flew into the airspace above the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster at around 2.50pm and was quickly escorted out of the area by North American Aerospace Defense Command jets, the agency announced. It had to use flares to draw the pilot's attention, but NORAD assured the public the flares 'are employed with the highest regard for the safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground.' The flares also burn out quickly and completely, so there is no danger to those on the ground. The Sunday afternoon incursion marked the second of the day, after three other unauthorized incursions occurred the day before. By Sunday night, NORAD announced that the total number of unauthorized flight incursions while President Trump was spending the weekend at his New Jersey club rose to seven. Officials are now urging pilots to be more careful and to better plan out their trips as it does not appear the pilots had nefarious intentions in breaching the secure airspace. 'General aviation pilots are reminded to verify all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Notice to Airmen and fly informed before every flight,' NORAD urged. It said all of the most recent information can be found at The agency has previously stressed how important it is for pilots to avoid violating temporary flight restriction zones. 'All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to restricted airspace, including reviewing new and existing FAA NOTAMs that impact their flight plans and activities. 'Adhering to FAA-restricted airspace protocols is mandatory, regardless of geographic region, airframe or aircrew.' The president had spent his weekend at the Bedminster golf club, and returned to the White House late Sunday night. Despite the security breaches, Trump seemed to be in a good mood later in the day as he found out that actress Sydney Sweeny is a registered Republican. Daily Mail asked the president for his reaction to Sweeney's surprise voter registration after he touched down in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Sunday, and the president didn't shy away from his excitement. 'Oh, now I love her ad,' Trump responded. 'You'd be surprised at how many people are Republican. That's one I wouldn't have known, but I'm glad you told me that,' he continued. 'If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic.' Daily Mail previously revealed that Sweeney registered with the Republican Party of Florida in Monroe County last June, according to public voter records. The reveal comes as Sweeney's controversial advertising campaign with American Eagle sparked intense backlash among liberals who accused it of subtly promoting white supremacy and eugenics. But the controversy led many to leap to Sweeney's defense, pointing out that the reference to 'great genes/ jeans' was a play on words about Sweeney's good looks and the denim line.
Fox News
03-08-2025
- General
- Fox News
Fighter jets scrambled after civilian aircraft violates Trump airspace at New Jersey Bedminster
Fighter jets scrambled to intercept a civilian aircraft on Sunday after it entered restricted airspace over Trump's Bedminster retreat. The pilot flew into a temporary flight restriction (TFR) zone at about 12:50 p.m. ET, according to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). The civilian aircraft was escorted out of the area by NORAD aircraft after using flares to draw the pilot's attention. NORAD said the intercept was the second of the day, noting that another aircraft had entered the TFR zone. In total, there were five unauthorized incursions over the weekend. The second instance, NORAD said, involved flares, which may have been visible to the public. NORAD added that flares "are employed with the highest regard for the safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground." The flares also burn out quickly and completely, NORAD said, so there is no danger to those on the ground when dispersed. Officials are warning private pilots to do their homework before takeoff. "General aviation pilots are reminded 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," NORAD said. The most up-to-date information can be found by visiting NORAD has stressed during previous instances how important it is for North American flight safety for pilots to avoid violating TFR. "All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to restricted airspace, including reviewing new and existing FAA NOTAMs that impact their flight plans and activities," NORAD has stated. "Adhering to FAA restricted airspace protocols is mandatory, regardless of geographical region, airframe, or aircrew." According to the president's schedule, Trump was out of town at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster on Sunday. He is expected to return to the White House on Sunday evening.
News.com.au
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
2026 Lexus RZ steer by wire tested
Every car you've driven in Australia has used a form of mechanical steering. That means the steering wheel has been physically connected to tyres – it works, it's proven and it's safe. So why change it? That's the question Lexus's new RZ 550e F Sport has to answer. The RZ first launched in just 2023, and the brand has already prepared a big upgrade. Lexus says it addressed customer feedback and luke-warm reviews to deliver a new model with faster charging times, an improved 500 km of range, and 280kW of power. This is, by all standards, a comfortable, well-engineered SUV with all the comfort and safety you'd expect from a higher-end electrical vehicle. But things get particularly interesting with the RZ 550e F Sport – a car which looks normal on the outside, but has completely redesigned steering system. The RZ 550e F Sport uses steer-by-wire. This means there is no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the tyres. Instead, it uses an actuator to interpret the driver's right and left turns, and then electrically delivers those signals to the steering rack. It's like a video game – you steer and a computer interprets what it thinks you want. It might be relatively new for cars, but its equivalent 'fly-by-wire' has been in commercial planes for years. It's in fighter jets, too. To be honest, I was expecting this to be a drastically different driving experience. I thought there would be a sense of unreality that comes with there being no link between the driver and the tyres. That wasn't the case at all. The RZ 550e F Sport felt perhaps a bit sharper, more precise – but not in a manner that would fundamentally change how a person drives. In fact, it would be easy to forget that the car even used steer-by-wire, were it not for the constant visual reminder that comes in the form of a yoke-style steering wheel. These have been in Australia before. Famously, Tesla's X and S models both had similar designs before reverting back to round. Customer feedback said they were annoying for drivers who struggled to do three-point turns without the hand-space at the top. It normally takes two or three complete revolutions of a wheel to go from lock-to-lock, after all. But in a car with steer-by-wire, the yoke-style wheel makes sense. It takes less than one turn, or a maximum of 200 degrees, to move from centre to full left or right lock. As a bonus, the driver gets better visibility of the dashboard and road ahead. However, while testing the limits of the steering lock, I did find the yoke-style to be a tad uncomfortable. While parking, the driver's arms will likely have to cross over – it might be ergonomic but it didn't feel natural. Not being able to sense the condition and texture of the road through vibrations on the steering wheel also felt strange in the beginning. While I quickly adapted, it is worth noting that I was driving in perfect conditions: hot, dry, well-maintained roads in the middle of Portuguese summer. How this car feels in wet weather, icy conditions, or unexpectedly muddy roads remains to be seen. But assuming the car handles well in all conditions, most customer reservations will likely come down to safety. Lexus has done what it can to appease anxiety on this matter. It says every element that controls the steer-by-wire system is duplicated with a redundancy. In addition, there's a separate battery that controls the steering, should the car run out of charge and need to be towed. Lexus also stresses that its steering system is different to one used in the 2014 Infiniti Q50, the only other car in Australia to have experimented with steer-by-wire. It was not a successful experiment. The Q50 was broadly panned for its inconsistent handling and faced recalls for steering faults. Infiniti's system had a full mechanical steering system waiting to take over at a moment's notice in case the electric version failed – which Lexus does not use. For a vehicle which is pushing boundaries and re-writing a major component of car engineering, the RZ 550e F Sport, does pay homage to ICE engines. This comes in the form of its interactive manual drive. While in 'M' mode, the car's eight virtual gears can be shifted up and down using paddles on the side of the steering wheel. The car replicates a manual experience through the throttle, a tachometer displaying the virtual rpm, and virtual engine sounds that play inside the cabin. Frankly, I wasn't sold on the fake engine noises. It reminded me a little of a Dyson vacuum cleaner pretending to be a car. Most drivers, I imagine, will try the interactive manual mode once, have a laugh, and never touch it again. But in a racier mode, it does remind you that this RZ 550e F Sport is no slouch; it gets from 0-100 in 4.4 seconds. When it reaches those higher speeds, it handles them well. The car is comfortable, well-balanced, and the cabin is pleasantly quiet (except for the fake engine sounds, that is). While in M mode, the RZ 550e F Sport feels like a car that's trying to bridge a widening gap between the past and the present of motoring. On one hand, it uses genuinely innovative engineering for its steering technology – a system that could alter the manner in which cars are manufactured and driven forever. On the other, it's clinging to vestiges of old technology, with fake gears and fake engine noises. It's lip service. An apologetic nod to motoring of yore, by a company that's fully dedicated to an electric future. Perhaps I'm a killjoy. I'm sure lots of people will enjoy being able to pretend to have gears in an electric vehicle. Fun doesn't need to make sense. But when we moved from horse and cart to motorised vehicles, humanity didn't agonise over making cars that could neigh, or kick you in the nads if they were angry. Sure, we lose some charm when technology moves on, but that's the price of progress. If the future is electric, it's better, I think, to fully embrace the possibilities that unlocks, rather than resorting to nostalgia for vehicles that are not yet obsolete. All that aside, Lexus clearly has an eye on the horizon with the RZ 550e F Sport.
