Aviators Again Avised To Carefully Check NOTMAS Before Flight

Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Command Region fighters will be protecting the skies during the G-8 Summit at Camp David, MD.  Air Force fighter jets will be on alert during the event May 18-19 enforcing the FAA's Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) zone during the summit.

Lt. Gen. Sid Clarke, Continental U.S. NORAD Region (CONR) commander, explained how the Continental U.S. NORAD Region provides air defense for the protection of the continental United States, to include special events such as this year's G-8 Summit.

"CONR is charged with defending the airspace over the continental United States every minute of the day, and we routinely provide enhanced air defense at special events like this year’s G-8 Summit," General Clarke said. "Pilots in the Camp David area are used to seeing Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR) zones over Camp David, but what makes the G-8 Summit a little different is that the Federal Aviation Administration’s TFR is larger than normal. It’s very important that the general aviation community remember to check their Notice to Airmen and fly informed!”

In preparation for the G-8 Summit, the FAA will be imposing a TFR over Camp David. All aviators are advised to check the Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) as required with a special focus on TFRs. The (TFR) is much larger than usual – 60 nautical miles in diameter instead of 20 nm.

 
Since the September 11 attacks, the prohibited area over Camp David known as P-40 has normally expanded from 3 nm radius to 10 when the President is in residence there, with the inner 5 nm radius a no-fly zone, and the outer ring from 5 nm to 10 nm – a so-called “squawk-and-talk” area where pilots must be on an active IFR or VFR flight plan, be in positive radio contact with air traffic control (ATC), and use a discrete, ATC-assigned transponder code.
 
For the G-8 Summit, however, the TFR will be as large as it is when the President travels anywhere else in the country – a 10 nm-radius no-fly zone with an outer “squawk-and-talk” ring from 10 nm to 30 nm The affected airspace will reach nearly halfway south through the Leesburg Maneuvering Area and will impact instrument approaches into Leesburg Executive Airport, Frederick Municipal Airport, and Montgomery County Airpark (Gaithersburg).

The Continental U.S. NORAD Region has enforced TFR’s throughout the United States since the beginning of Operation Noble Eagle, the command's response to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. CONR activities will have minimal impact on aircraft in the area and are not in response to any specific threat.

FMI: www.norad.mil