Pilots flying in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Palm Springs areas June 18 to 21 need to be extra vigilant. The FAA has issued notams for multiple temporary flight restrictions over the metropolitan areas for President Barack Obama’s visit. (See the FAA's TFR Alert.)
“The Los Angeles and San Francisco Class B airspace is among the most complex in the nation, and adding multiple TFRs in those areas as well as Palm Springs will only add to the complexity,” said Craig Spence, AOPA vice president of operations and international affairs. “Pilots must check notams carefully before flight and ensure they steer clear of the airspace or follow the procedures listed in the notam if transiting the outer portions of the TFR in order to avoid violating the airspace.”
The 30-nautical-mile-radius TFRs have multiple inner 8-, 9-, 10-, and 11-nm-radius GA no-fly zones. All of the TFRs extend from the surface up to but not including 17,999 feet msl. Two different TFRs will be over the Los Angeles area at various times from June 18 through 19. TFRs over San Francisco International Airport also will be in effect at various times June 19 through 20. The final TFR will be over Palm Springs and will be in effect consistently from June 20 to 21.
“The TFRs will have varying effective times, and the inner GA no-fly zone sizes will be changing throughout the time period, adding to the complexity of the airspace,” Spence said.
Pilots should check the FAA’s graphical TFR website for depictions of the notams as well as the latest updates. Current TFR information, however, should come from a thorough preflight briefing, Spence said.
