Crawford ranch (Texas) airspace restrictions will expand Wednesday through Easter weekend

Pilots flying between Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin, Texas, should be aware that the area surrounding P-49 will be expanding to a 30-nm radius over the upcoming Easter weekend. Pilots are cautioned to check notams before flight. The temporary flight restriction (TFR) will push out to a 30-nm radius below 18,000 feet beginning at 1400 local on Wednesday, April 16, and continuing through 1215 local on Monday, April 21.

During the effective times of the notam, practice instrument approaches are prohibited within the TFR.

All operations (except military, law enforcement, and medevac) are prohibited in the 0-10 nm airspace below 18,000 feet. In the 10-30 nm ring, aircraft must be on an active IFR or VFR flight plan with a discrete transponder code assigned by air traffic control and must maintain radio contact with ATC. All such flights must be for ingress, egress, or transit only. No flight training, aerobatic, glider, parachute, hang gliding, ultralight, aerial application, or animal control operations are permitted.

Just last week AOPA urged Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to not support a DOD request for expanded 30-nm restrictions like the TFR that surrounds Crawford ranch. "The current 10-mile presidential movement TFR provides an appropriate level of protection, without unnecessarily infringing on general aviation's freedom of transit," stated AOPA President Phil Boyer.