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TFR Trouble

Russell Munson
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • A pilot recounts inadvertently flying into a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) for Vice President Biden due to multiple oversights, resulting in a 90-day certificate suspension and revealing a surprisingly punitive enforcement process.
  • The author advises pilots to always check for TFRs, immediately file a NASA ASRS report after an incident for potential immunity, and consult an aviation lawyer before making detailed statements to authorities.
  • The article highlights that VIP TFR violations are met with a strict, punitive approach—reportedly driven by the Secret Service—which contrasts with the FAA's usual educational philosophy for general aviation infractions.
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(February 2011) — Joe Biden came to visit last Memorial Day weekend. I wish he had called first so I could have invited him for an airplane ride.

Sunday morning, May 30, was beautiful on eastern Long Island. You could almost see Ireland, and it was as calm as a lobster on lithium. On days like this pilots take to the air like hawks at mealtime. I did a quick weather check on the computer then drove to East Hampton airport, where my Husky lives. The plan was to fly along the beach around Southampton to check on erosion from the heavy spring storms, but mainly I was simply eager to roam the sky on such a day. Biden would have enjoyed it too, because I would be flying right near where he was staying, as it turned out.

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