FAA to shut down Washington, D.C., airspace for State of the Union speech

FAA to shut down Washington, D.C., airspace for State of the Union speech

The FAA has declared the airspace over Washington, D.C., off-limits to VFR general aviation traffic for President Bush's State of the Union address tonight. Like the inauguration, it has been designated a national security event, and penalties for incursions will be severe.

The FAA has issued a notam along with a flight advisory that closes the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) to VFR traffic between 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. tonight.

In addition, notams are suspended regarding pattern work and ingress/egress procedures at airports within the ADIZ and flight restricted zone (FRZ). The only exception is for IFR aircraft landing or departing Washington Dulles International (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) airports. Those aircraft have to remain on active IFR flight plans while operating within the ADIZ/FRZ.

Update: February 2, 2005