GA Operators Must Get Waivers To Fly

The Republican National Convention will be held at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN September 1-4. The national conventions of the major parties are seen by many US citizens as a celebration of personal freedoms... but if you're a general aviation pilot, personal freedom may not be the lasting memory.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports the FAA will require GA pilots wishing to fly into Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and St. Paul's Holman Field to get a waiver 72 hours in advance, or land at an alternate airport like St. Cloud or Rochester and have your plane searched.

There will also be a TFR in effect for a 10-mile radius around the Xcel Center.

An estimated 45,000 people will come to town for the event. It's not clear how many plan to arrive in GA aircraft, and of those who do, how many will need ramp space. The paper reports that four years ago, during the democrats' national convention in Boston, one regional airport had 100 guest pilots needing to tie down.

Greg Fries, manager of St. Paul's Holman Field, says his airport has plenty of overflow parking available, and sounds philosophical about the security hassles.

"We haven't had close to anything like these restrictions," he said. "But we haven't had an event like this, either."

Private pilots in Colorado may expect similar restrictions over Denver when the Democrats come to town for their convention on August 25-28.

FMI: www.mspairport.com