It’s really strange. Temporary Flight Restrictions are pretty common for VIPs or disasters, but they usually have exceptions for airlines, IFR flights, etc. It’s extremely weird to shut down everything. It makes me think there was some perceived threat to flight.
El Paso is a great winter route from points west to those east as one can fly just south of the high country a few miles to the north. The Notam does not close this corridor. One only has to stay within a couple of miles of the mountain face coming down from the north. Meanwhile all of El Paso is visible to the south. This is a curious Notam, indeed!
All it effectively does is close the commercial airport and the executive airport several miles to the west and any VFR and lower level IFR flights directly over El Paso.
Definitely true in the Trump admins. Like RFK Jr's HHS, which is discouraging any new drug trials by their actions (see: Moderna's mRNA flu shot which cost $750M for the trials and won't even be reviewed).
Further Update (goodness, it just keeps getting better): "Contradicting Accounts: While officials initially cited a "cartel drone incursion," reports suggested the military was conducting tests, and some accounts indicated a prior target was merely a party balloon, not a cartel drone.'
When I was stationed at Ft. Bliss in 1965, I lived in an apartment near the west end of the Biggs AFB runway. It was not uncommon for the Air Force to check out aerial intrusions at all hours. Biggs had big bombers at the time so I'm sure they were sensitive to any intrusions.
I'm always nervous flying and I figure if ducks can bring down a plane, drones certainly can. I welcome any degree of caution that might protect the flying public. Your outrage is misplaced.
They didn’t shut down airspace like this back in the 60s. And it appears the TFR isn’t really related to a known foreign threat. It was an internal failure to coordinate and a very poor way to deal with it.
Maybe, but what I've read indicates the air space was closed for a few hours overnight because of drones that were quickly neutralized. Are you saying that drones cannot be a danger to other aircraft?
Obviously I’m not saying drones can’t be a danger to aircraft safety. I am saying that a 10 day TFR was not supported by confirmed intelligence of that threat. It was due to the Army wanting to test anti drone systems using lasers against potential cross border drones. It’s the lasers that are a threat. The Army did not coordinate the early deployment with the FAA so the FAA administrator, on his own authority, and without informing any coordinating administration officials, slapped a 10 day TFR on the entire class B ATA ground to FL18. That’s excessive.
Sorry, but I'm not a pilot and I will never understand the outrage over an airport being shut down for a few hours in the middle of the night when there might have been a threat to aviation.
Because pilots and airlines comply with what a NOTAM says. It said 10 days. Sure they revoked it but how can you plan if the FAA works this way? It can’t work this way.
I'm assuming KA$H's girlfriend is involved until I hear otherwise. /s
It was "Mexican cartel drones." Presumably dispensing fentanyl like candy from the sky? I don't know. Well the airport is now open again. Go fly.
It’s really strange. Temporary Flight Restrictions are pretty common for VIPs or disasters, but they usually have exceptions for airlines, IFR flights, etc. It’s extremely weird to shut down everything. It makes me think there was some perceived threat to flight.
El Paso is a great winter route from points west to those east as one can fly just south of the high country a few miles to the north. The Notam does not close this corridor. One only has to stay within a couple of miles of the mountain face coming down from the north. Meanwhile all of El Paso is visible to the south. This is a curious Notam, indeed!
It doesn’t affect commercial IFR Jet Routes at all. Only below 18,000.
All it effectively does is close the commercial airport and the executive airport several miles to the west and any VFR and lower level IFR flights directly over El Paso.
Anxious to hear David’s take on this one for sure!
https://x.com/captainkudzu
And now it's lifted?
Sean Duffy's FAA seems really incompetent.
_______________'s ___________ (fill in name and agency) seems really incompetent.
Definitely true in the Trump admins. Like RFK Jr's HHS, which is discouraging any new drug trials by their actions (see: Moderna's mRNA flu shot which cost $750M for the trials and won't even be reviewed).
The only agencies that aren't incompetent are the ones that don't do anything. Some of them are really good at it.
Further Update (goodness, it just keeps getting better): "Contradicting Accounts: While officials initially cited a "cartel drone incursion," reports suggested the military was conducting tests, and some accounts indicated a prior target was merely a party balloon, not a cartel drone.'
Hiring the best, nothing but the best!
I thought potential results depicted in this article were hyperbolic. We are smarter and stronger than a drone attack.
When I was stationed at Ft. Bliss in 1965, I lived in an apartment near the west end of the Biggs AFB runway. It was not uncommon for the Air Force to check out aerial intrusions at all hours. Biggs had big bombers at the time so I'm sure they were sensitive to any intrusions.
I'm always nervous flying and I figure if ducks can bring down a plane, drones certainly can. I welcome any degree of caution that might protect the flying public. Your outrage is misplaced.
They didn’t shut down airspace like this back in the 60s. And it appears the TFR isn’t really related to a known foreign threat. It was an internal failure to coordinate and a very poor way to deal with it.
Maybe, but what I've read indicates the air space was closed for a few hours overnight because of drones that were quickly neutralized. Are you saying that drones cannot be a danger to other aircraft?
Obviously I’m not saying drones can’t be a danger to aircraft safety. I am saying that a 10 day TFR was not supported by confirmed intelligence of that threat. It was due to the Army wanting to test anti drone systems using lasers against potential cross border drones. It’s the lasers that are a threat. The Army did not coordinate the early deployment with the FAA so the FAA administrator, on his own authority, and without informing any coordinating administration officials, slapped a 10 day TFR on the entire class B ATA ground to FL18. That’s excessive.
Sorry, but I'm not a pilot and I will never understand the outrage over an airport being shut down for a few hours in the middle of the night when there might have been a threat to aviation.
Because pilots and airlines comply with what a NOTAM says. It said 10 days. Sure they revoked it but how can you plan if the FAA works this way? It can’t work this way.