Military jets are scrambling on average more than once a week to intercept general aviation pilots who stray into restricted airspace, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Besides the potential danger involved in such intercepts, the incursions — 75 on average per year — cost tax payers millions of dollars, officials say.
The number of incidents of pilots busting TFRs has decreased in recent years with better outreach to the pilot community, but NORAD anticipates that the frequency of intercepts will remain at current levels, according to a report in USA Today.
Many of the TFR incursions result when new temporary flight restricted areas pop up without much advance notice. The errant flights are often by pilots who fly VFR from one uncontrolled airport to another, apparently unaware that the airspace along their route is off limits, NORAD says.
The problem could be remedied with the wider adoption of ADS-B avionics. While not required as part of the 2020 ADS-B mandate, the technology will permit pilots to receive continuous updates of new TFRs on a cockpit display. Many aviation apps and some avionics also display the location of TFRs.
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