The North American Aerospace Defence Command scrambled F-16 fighter jets on Sunday to intercept two general aviation aircraft that entered restricted airspace over US President Donald Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
NORAD said the fighter jets intercepted the aircraft after they violated temporary flight restrictions in place over the area, with the 1st Air Force’s Air Forces Northern later clarifying that two separate aircraft were involved in the incident, according to Fox News.
Trump Bedminster Temporary Flight Restrictions: Why Was The Airspace Restricted In The First Place?
The Federal Aviation Administration had two temporary flight restrictions of the “VIP” type in effect over Bedminster from Friday, 7 August, through Sunday, 9 August, according to RedState, coinciding with Trump’s presence at the club as it hosted the four-day LIV Golf New York tournament, according to Fox News. Separate VIP restrictions were also in place over nearby Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday.
Trump Bedminster Temporary Flight Restrictions: What Happened Once The Jets Intercepted The Planes?
Both general aviation aircraft were safely escorted out of the restricted area by NORAD’s fighter jets, officials said. As of the incident’s initial reporting, no details had been released regarding the types of aircraft involved or the identities of those on board, and there was no indication of any further disciplinary or investigative action being taken. Standard NORAD protocol requires that any pilot who finds themselves intercepted immediately switch to the emergency radio frequency of 121.5 or 243.0 and “turn around to reverse course until receiving additional instructions on one of those frequencies,” according to the Defence Visual Information Distribution Service.
Trump Bedminster Temporary Flight Restrictions: Is This A Recurring Problem Near Trump’s Properties?
Sunday’s intercept adds to a lengthening list of similar airspace breaches recorded near Trump’s golf properties in recent months. In July, six general aviation aircraft violated restricted airspace over Bedminster across a single weekend, one of which required a NORAD intercept using flares to draw the pilot’s attention, according to Newsweek. A separate incident in March saw an F-16 intercept a plane near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, while more than ten planes breached restricted airspace over Bedminster and East Rutherford during last year’s World Cup Final, prompting three separate intercepts in a single day.
Temporary flight restrictions of this kind are routinely issued to protect designated areas during presidential visits, major sporting events and other high-profile occasions, with violations treated as a recurring security concern by military and aviation officials given how frequently Trump has continued visiting his golf properties since returning to office. No further updates on Sunday’s incident had been issued by NORAD or the FAA as of publication.v
