Eyes in the sky while the President is in town

You may have noticed more air traffic in the skies above the Coachella Valley. With President Obama in town temporary flight restrictions (TFR) are in place.

Here’s a breakdown of how it’s set up, according to the National Business Aviation Association.

The dimensions, timing, and level of restriction for each TFR vary. For VIP TFR’s, these determinations are made by the United States Secret Service (USSS), in coordination with FAA Security. Once finalized, TFR information is typically distributed via Flight Data Center (FDC) Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) in advance of the event.

In the case of Presidential movement, the TFR is usually comprised of an outer ring (usually 30 nautical miles, but sometimes slightly more or less) and one or more inner rings (usually 10 nautical miles, but sometimes 8, 9, or 10 nautical miles). The dimensions and, even the shape, of the rings are sometimes altered to suit specific needs. For example, some TFRs are structured so that the outer ring consists of the lateral limits of a particular airport’s Class B airspace, or are created with cut-outs, as noted later in this resource.

The inner ring(s) constitute the most significant challenge to general and business aviation, since they are almost always inaccessible to general aviation aircraft. This is primarily due to the fact that general aviation aircraft are not subject to TSA passenger and aircraft screening.

The result is that GA aircraft cannot fly through these areas below 18,000 feet and any airports within these areas are unavailable to GA aircraft during the specified times. In addition, these “no fly” areas may result in required reroutes being issued to move aircraft away from them.

Restrictions will be in place until the President departs on Tuesday.