US fighter jet intercepts aircraft near Trump rally, deploying signal flares
Source: CNN
US fighter jet intercepts aircraft near Trump rally, deploying signal flares
By Barbara Starr, Jeremy Diamond, Nikki Carvajal, Jason Hoffman and Caroline Kelly, CNN
Updated 6:24 PM ET, Wed October 28, 2020
(CNN) -- An aircraft entered restricted air space over President Donald Trump's rally in Bullhead City, Arizona on Wednesday, leading to a fighter jet being scrambled to intercept it.
"On October 28 at approximately 1400 MDT, North American Aerospace Defense Command directed F-16 aircraft to investigate a general aviation aircraft that was not in communication with air traffic control and entered the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) area surrounding Bullhead City, Arizona, without proper clearance," said John Cornelio, a spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), in a statement to CNN.
"The violating aircraft was non-responsive to initial intercept procedures, but established radio communications after NORAD aircraft deployed signal flares," Cornelio added "The violating aircraft was escorted out of the restricted area by the NORAD aircraft without further incident."
The smaller aircraft was not visible to CNN reporters on the ground in Arizona but the fighter jet could be heard overhead, leading to a reaction from the rally crowd and the President himself.
{snip}
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/28/politics/trump-rally-fighter-jet-arizona/index.html
Hat tip, the NBC nightly TV news.
I thought at first that this was a misuse of the military, but it's legit.
Unless the private pilot was deliberately trying to provoke this reaction, for the prime-time spectacle that would ensue.
Where's my tin foil?
pfitz59
(10,302 posts)Pre-flight planning is a bit lax with "puddle-jumpers."
ffr
(22,665 posts)That's a no-no.
Oops. wrong reply button. Sorry pfitz59.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)at least a suspension will be coming their way.
yaesu
(8,020 posts)oldsoftie
(12,489 posts)Maybe people should get billed when this happens
yaesu
(8,020 posts)oldsoftie
(12,489 posts)We dont tell the secret service to take the week off just because the current office holder is a prick. We may not like it, but thats how we do things. We're not yet a 3rd world country
Steelrolled
(2,022 posts)will be the beginning of the end.
Jus fucking wow!!
dware
(12,250 posts)just because you think the US President is a fascist, and he is BTW, that he shouldn't be protected?
Words can't describe just how uncool this is.
Polybius
(15,334 posts)Come on.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,321 posts)AF pilots have to put in some number of flight hours anyway. This should count toward that pilot's goal.
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)The private pilot was completely in the wrong and should not have been there.
Gore1FL
(21,098 posts)I don't know. I've been to Omaha on business on numerous occasions at a previous job, but I've never really got to know the area.
Marcuse
(7,446 posts)Gore1FL
(21,098 posts)The right went ape shit.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,321 posts)Yes, he got a haircut on AF1. No, it didn't affect air traffic, the airport continued operations while he got clipped, washed, dyed, whatever.
But, any time a Dem president does anything, count on the right to go ape shit.
To Clinton's credit, I don't remember any scandal about him wearing a tan suit. That was a great blot on Obama's legacy.
LudwigPastorius
(9,099 posts)if the next "intercept procedure" was a Sidewinder/AMRMM up his nose.
Time to give up the stick, pal.
royable
(1,263 posts)by the drumpf campaign, which of course was never paid.