A total of 11 privately owned airplanes violated temporary airspace restrictions (TARs) over President Donald Trump’s private golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, over the holiday weekend.
Trump spent part of the weekend at the club, making the airspace above and around it off-limits for commercial and general aviation flights. Still, some pilots continued to navigate through the area, and they were intercepted and escorted away by NORAD fighter jets.
According to the New York Post, NORAD used F-16s to intercept some of the airplanes and performed “headbutt” maneuvers to get the pilots’ attention. This involves flying very close to the target aircraft and cutting directly in front of its nose.
“NORAD and the FAA aim to keep the skies over America safe, with close attention paid to areas with temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) to ensure flight safety, national security, and the security of the president,” General Gregory Guillot, commander of NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command, said in a statement. “TFR procedures are mandatory, and the excessive number of TFR violations this weekend indicates some civil aviators are not reading Notice to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight as required by the FAA.”
Military officials said they are reminding pilots to verify all FAA Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) before every flight.
“Attention all pilots: If you’re flying anywhere near Bedminster, NJ, you’d better check NOTAMs 1353, 1358, 2246, and 2247,” the First Air Force wrote on X. “These TFRs are in place for a reason. No excuses! Stay sharp, stay legal, and stay out of restricted airspace.”
Pilots can access up-to-date information published by the FAA here.
Trump spent most of the Fourth of July at the White House, where he signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” spending package, before departing for Bedminster. He returned to Washington, D.C., on Sunday.
