Since taking office just over 100 days ago, President Donald Trump has spent seven weekends at his Mar-A-Lago resort, which he affectionately refers to as his “Winter White House.” And for roughly one-fifth of his term, Trump and Air Force One have been causing headaches among the residents of Palm Beach, Florida, and especially pilots and GA business owners who operate out of Lantana Airport, because his presence has resulted in TFRs and weekend closures that are very bad for business.
This weekend (May 5-7), two airports in New Jersey will experience that stress, as the FAA has issued a TFR in Morristown and Bedminster Township, where the Trump National Golf Course is located. This is the first time since November that Trump has visited Trump National.
On Thursday, Trump will speak in New York City at the USS Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum to honor the 75th anniversary of World War II’s Battle of the Coral Sea, in which U.S. and Australian forces teamed up to fight the Imperial Japanese Navy. After his speech, Trump will meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and then he will drive to Bedminster for his weekend at “Camp David North.”
While Trump’s Mar-A-Lago residence remains available year-round, the rest of the resort closes for the summer, beginning on Mother’s Day and lasting through August. Trump is expected to spend his summer getaways at Trump National in New Jersey, which would mean even more closures for nearby Somerset and Solberg Airports.
At Lantana, business owners have claimed to have lost tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of dollars in business revenue, while pilots complained of having to spend thousands more in fuel and housing at airports outside the no-fly zone. The Secret Service ultimately rejected a compromise that could have helped the businesses.
In a memo posted on the airport’s website, Somerset officials say they’re currently looking into options for flight school customers to fly dual training at other airports. Unfortunately for based customers, they will still simply have to relocate for the weekend.
The FAA is asking pilots and aviation professionals to spread the word for this weekend’s TFR, as there have previously been “numerous airspace violations” in the region. In Palm Beach, more than 30 violations were reported by March, including 14 over President’s Day weekend alone. The New Jersey TFR this weekend extends for 30 miles around Trump’s golf resort, with a 10-mile inner ring labeled a no-fly zone for general aviation aircraft.
