President's TFR for VFR

KE5BM

KE5BM

Pre-takeoff checklist
Joined
Jul 15, 2023
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Cape Cod, MA
Display Name
Ross
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KHYA
Happy Thanksgiving, Aviators!

As per usual, the President is on Nantucket for Thanksgiving and with him is the 30nm TFR. That TFR covers every field on Cape except for Provincetown. I've read the TFR, of course but I'm a little unclear on what I as a VFR pilot can do in a TFR. Am I just SOL to do any flying at all? Or, can I contact Clearance Delivery from CQX and get a squawk for a cross-country flight to some point outside the TFR? For example, if my family decided today that they wanted to go to visit relatives for Thanksgiving would I be able to do that as a VFR pilot? (Wx notwithstanding...it's nasty today) Or do I have to wait until Mr. President leaves town?
 
If in the inner 10nm ring, out on the creek without a paddle. Nothing you can do about it, there are a couple exceptions that take a lot of prior planning.
Outer ring, file and activate an IFR flight plan, or just file (no need to activate) a VFR flight plan. Call clearance delivery, ask for a code to exit the TFR. They'll ask you for you destination again if you filed a VFR plan. Have code in transponder before take-off, contact ATC on given frequency after departure. A bit easier overall if at a controlled field, since you'll be in 2-way radio contact before take-off.
On the way back in, file plan and activate if IFR. Ensure you get flight following if VFR, make sure you still have 2-way comms before entering TFR. I usually ask ATC to confirm I'm still clear to enter when a couple miles out. Beter safe than sorry.
If landing at an uncontrolled field, make sure you keep the code all the way to the ground.
If you have two radios, monitor 121.5 on the second one at all times.
 
AV8R_87 said:
If in the inner 10nm ring, out on the creek without a paddle. Nothing you can do about it, there are a couple exceptions that take a lot of prior planning.
Outer ring, file and activate an IFR flight plan, or just file (no need to activate) a VFR flight plan. Call clearance delivery, ask for a code to exit the TFR. They'll ask you for you destination again if you filed a VFR plan. Have code in transponder before take-off, contact ATC on given frequency after departure. A bit easier overall if at a controlled field, since you'll be in 2-way radio contact before take-off.
On the way back in, file plan and activate if IFR. Ensure you get flight following if VFR, make sure you still have 2-way comms before entering TFR. I usually ask ATC to confirm I'm still clear to enter when a couple miles out. Beter safe than sorry.
If landing at an uncontrolled field, make sure you keep the code all the way to the ground.
If you have two radios, monitor 121.5 on the second one at all times.
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Well the inner ring exceptions don’t really require anymore planning than a VFR / IFR in the outer ring. They (ATC / SS) aren’t that standardized in how they apply inner ring procedures either.

I’ve arrived to a hospital in the inner ring while Obama was on final for ATL. ARTCC and TRACON were both freaking out and didn’t want us to enter. Finally someone gave approval and we continued in. Leaving Atlanta was no problem. I arrived and departed in the Trump inner ring at CHA with no issues while a friend was held on the ground at the hospital until AF1 was out of 8,000 ft.

So there’s published procedures and then there’s good / bad timing where procedures are modified.
 
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On flight following about to enter a tfr to land at home drome. Had a vfr plan on file, not active. Atc says this is very important. Do not squawk vfr until you're on the ground and shut shut down. Bad things will happen. Keep this squawk code. No traffic between you and destination. Frequency change approved.
 
Racerx said:
On flight following about to enter a tfr to land at home drome. Had a vfr plan on file, not active. Atc says this is very important. Do not squawk vfr until you're on the ground and shut shut down. Bad things will happen. Keep this squawk code. No traffic between you and destination. Frequency change approved.
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My friend worked as a sup at ATL TRACON and said they could care less if a VFR files. They have no clue if you filed or not. They can’t see it even if it’s activated. They want comms and radar ID.
 
Velocity173 said:
My friend worked as a sup at ATL TRACON and said they could care less if a VFR files. They have no clue if you filed or not. They can’t see it even if it’s activated. They want comms and radar ID.
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So what if my departure field is non-towered such as CQX? Call Clearance Delivery on the phone? CQX is notorious for not being able to hear Boston Approach or CD from the ground.
 
KE5BM said:
So what if my departure field is non-towered such as CQX? Call Clearance Delivery on the phone? CQX is notorious for not being able to hear Boston Approach or CD from the ground.
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I’d call the ATC number in the NOTAM ending in 5531. They should be able to coordinate a squawk code for ya.
 
20 years ago I went for a short flight in Clearwater FL, unaware of a VP TFR at Tarpon Springs, and got a very close look at an F-18.
 
I remember the good ole days when VIP TFRs were the same as sports TFRs. Clinton came to Hilton Head every New Year’s Eve and they had a 3,000 / 3 TFR over the residence. I think the airport was in the clear. Those days are long gone.
 
Maybe we'll get lucky and one day have a president that's afraid to fly. And before anyone says that's impossible, I read on the Internet that Washington and Lincoln rarely flew, and only commercially.
 
Albany Tom said:
Maybe we'll get lucky and one day have a president that's afraid to fly. And before anyone says that's impossible, I read on the Internet that Washington and Lincoln rarely flew, and only commercially.
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Then you'd have linear TFRs along the road or railroad, like a giant invisible wall you can't cross.
 
Albany Tom said:
Maybe we'll get lucky and one day have a president that's afraid to fly. And before anyone says that's impossible, I read on the Internet that Washington and Lincoln rarely flew, and only commercially.
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A John Madden-esque president would be interesting.
 
Albany Tom said:
Maybe we'll get lucky and one day have a president that's afraid to fly. And before anyone says that's impossible, I read on the Internet that Washington and Lincoln rarely flew, and only commercially.
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I’m pretty sure you have that wrong. From what I have seen on the internet and movies, Lincoln loved to fly. It was traveling by boat that gave him nightmares.
 
Dana said:
Then you'd have linear TFRs along the road or railroad, like a giant invisible wall you can't cross.
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They did have that a few presidential campaigns ago. It was a "bus stop tour" in the Midwest, the TFR followed the road.
 
Ed Haywood said:
20 years ago I went for a short flight in Clearwater FL, unaware of a VP TFR at Tarpon Springs, and got a very close look at an F-18.
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Did you get a couple selfies? Kind of cool, not sure why everyone is so worried about this happening haha.
 
mandm said:
Did you get a couple selfies? Kind of cool, not sure why everyone is so worried about this happening haha.
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No, but an F-18 cutting across your nose at half a mile looks VERY big, and prompts many NSFW excited utterances. Ask me how I know.
 
Years ago, I lived in Kalamazoo, and wanted to fly to Plainwell for breakfast, about 15 miles north. Unfortunately, George W. Bush was in Grand Rapids, and Plainwell was within the TFR. Being clever (I thought) I called Clearance Delivery and asked for a local IFR clearance direct to Plainwell. It was granted, and I took off, put the gear up, leveled off, called "Plainwell in sight, cancel IFR," put the gear down, entered the pattern and landed, feeling pretty smug.

Taxiing in, I noticed a small fabric airplane landing on the grass runway. He ended up parking next to me and we walked to the restaurant together. I asked, "Did you know about the TFR?"

"What's a TFR?"

"Ah, where did you come from?"

"My farm," he said.

"Do you have a transponder?"

"No, my plane doesn't have an electrical system."

I was almost disappointed that no black helicopters arrived, but then I wasn't sure that canceling IFR in the air was going to protect me, either.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
I was almost disappointed that no black helicopters arrived, but then I wasn't sure that canceling IFR in the air was going to protect me, either.
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After my intercept, I landed and called the FAA. They said "thanks for calling, you'll either hear from us or you won't." I never did. But that was in 2004, when the roving TFR thing was fairly new. I hear they are less forgiving now.
 
Gilbert Buettner said:
Years ago, I lived in Kalamazoo, and wanted to fly to Plainwell for breakfast, about 15 miles north. Unfortunately, George W. Bush was in Grand Rapids, and Plainwell was within the TFR. Being clever (I thought) I called Clearance Delivery and asked for a local IFR clearance direct to Plainwell. It was granted, and I took off, put the gear up, leveled off, called "Plainwell in sight, cancel IFR," put the gear down, entered the pattern and landed, feeling pretty smug.

Taxiing in, I noticed a small fabric airplane landing on the grass runway. He ended up parking next to me and we walked to the restaurant together. I asked, "Did you know about the TFR?"

"What's a TFR?"

"Ah, where did you come from?"

"My farm," he said.

"Do you have a transponder?"

"No, my plane doesn't have an electrical system."

I was almost disappointed that no black helicopters arrived, but then I wasn't sure that canceling IFR in the air was going to protect me, either.
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No one saw him. I bought a rag and tube LSA with no transponder and was bringing it to the home dome (ONZ) contacted Detroit approach just outside the mode C veil, told them where I was . They couldn't find me. About 15 miles out they finally called and asked if it was me along the shore line near Monroe...
 
Years ago I'm down at the local store and my phone gets a call that says "AMOC" in the caller id. It's Homeland Security's Air/Marine Operations Center.

"Who just departed your airport?"

I didn't know, told him I could find out. "Never mind. We're tracking him. If he heads back to your place we'll give you a call."

It was my neighbor in a 1933 Waco. He called to confirm the start time of the TFR wasn't until 2PM and then went out to get the thing in the air (starting that Jake takes a while). Between that FSS call and him launching, they moved the TFR up.
 
flyingron said:
Years ago I'm down at the local store and my phone gets a call that says "AMOC" in the caller id. It's Homeland Security's Air/Marine Operations Center.

"Who just departed your airport?"

I didn't know, told him I could find out. "Never mind. We're tracking him. If he heads back to your place we'll give you a call."

It was my neighbor in a 1933 Waco. He called to confirm the start time of the TFR wasn't until 2PM and then went out to get the thing in the air (starting that Jake takes a while). Between that FSS call and him launching, they moved the TFR up.
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That is one big problem with the VIP TFRs, the VIPs are terrible at keeping to a schedule. One more reason to eliminate the TFRs. I don't personally think any person is so important so as impact the lives and freedom of people within a 30 mile radius.
 
midwestpa24 said:
That is one big problem with the VIP TFRs, the VIPs are terrible at keeping to a schedule. One more reason to eliminate the TFRs. I don't personally think any person is so important so as impact the lives and freedom of people within a 30 mile radius.
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They had a little TFR in Atlanta for Carter to be flown back to DC for the funeral. Not sure who they were trying to protect at that point.
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Once said a guy from Nantucket
Take your TFR and shove it.
A plan he did file
before flying a mile.
So squawk all the way and **** it.
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Frankly, I find these TFRs for our "chief public servants" absurd. Shutting down an entire block of airspace because one of our dubious "commanders in chief" decide to take a vacation at our expense is a bit much. General aviation does not pose any legitimate threat to presidential travel. I think part of the problem we have is our "representatives" (from Congress all the way up) get treated like rock stars--free travel-food-security--they are too far separated from the everyday existence of the average (or even above average working man) to even begin to relate.
 
WJG-GMT-RootBeer said:
Frankly, I find these TFRs for our "chief public servants" absurd. Shutting down an entire block of airspace because one of our dubious "commanders in chief" decide to take a vacation at our expense is a bit much. General aviation does not pose any legitimate threat to presidential travel. I think part of the problem we have is our "representatives" (from Congress all the way up) get treated like rock stars--free travel-food-security--they are too far separated from the everyday existence of the average (or even above average working man) to even begin to relate.
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Blame the jerks that knocked down a couple big buildings with airplanes awhile back. And the stupid kid that went off his meds and flew a plane into a building shortly after that. Sure it's security theater, but there's not much they can do that would actually stop a GA attack vector, so gotta pretend to do something.
 
WJG-GMT-RootBeer said:
Frankly, I find these TFRs for our "chief public servants" absurd. Shutting down an entire block of airspace because one of our dubious "commanders in chief" decide to take a vacation at our expense is a bit much. General aviation does not pose any legitimate threat to presidential travel. I think part of the problem we have is our "representatives" (from Congress all the way up) get treated like rock stars--free travel-food-security--they are too far separated from the everyday existence of the average (or even above average working man) to even begin to relate.
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So edgy.
 
Salty said:
Blame the jerks that knocked down a couple big buildings with airplanes awhile back. And the stupid kid that went off his meds and flew a plane into a building shortly after that. Sure it's security theater, but there's not much they can do that would actually stop a GA attack vector, so gotta pretend to do something.
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We've done this 1000 times, but the purpose isn't to stop the attack.
 
WJG-GMT-RootBeer said:
Frankly, I find these TFRs for our "chief public servants" absurd. Shutting down an entire block of airspace because one of our dubious "commanders in chief" decide to take a vacation at our expense is a bit much. General aviation does not pose any legitimate threat to presidential travel. I think part of the problem we have is our "representatives" (from Congress all the way up) get treated like rock stars--free travel-food-security--they are too far separated from the everyday existence of the average (or even above average working man) to even begin to relate.
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To be fair, the CinC is the only one who gets this TFR. Air Force 2 dropped into Joint Base Cape Cod last year on a campaign trip. The TFR pretty much only covered the Class D airspace of JBCC. She and her entourage then took to the highway and drove all the way up to Provincetown. Why they didn't just take a helicopter I don't know as it clogged up traffic on US 6 for a while. But no TFR followed her. Aside from sporting venues using the typical 3/3 TFR, I don't see much pop up. As I recall, the VP TFR around Provincetown was 3/3 as well.

Politics aside, I'm glad Biden isn't president anymore. Flying from the Cape to Virginia could be a pain given his propensity for Nantucket and the Delaware shores. Trump for the most part sticks to the outskirts of NYC and Florida which are nowhere near anywhere I'm flying. I feel bad for our Florida aviators, though. I strongly agree that this massive TFR around the President needs to be reconsidered.
 
The great irony is that when there is a TFR, foreign assets know exactly where to go to get their high value target. It's sort of like when we "T"FR'd our land based nucl. power plants....heck we published that stuff. You just can't win.
 
Definitely glad I live in the time zone no pays any attention to.
 
bbchien said:
The great irony is that when there is a TFR, foreign assets know exactly where to go to get their high value target. It's sort of like when we "T"FR'd our land based nucl. power plants....heck we published that stuff. You just can't win.
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The president's public schedule is published in advance on the web. It's a lot more specific than a TFR.
 
KE5BM said:
To be fair, the CinC is the only one who gets this TFR. Air Force 2 dropped into Joint Base Cape Cod last year on a campaign trip. The TFR pretty much only covered the Class D airspace of JBCC. She and her entourage then took to the highway and drove all the way up to Provincetown. Why they didn't just take a helicopter I don't know as it clogged up traffic on US 6 for a while. But no TFR followed her. Aside from sporting venues using the typical 3/3 TFR, I don't see much pop up. As I recall, the VP TFR around Provincetown was 3/3 as well.

Politics aside, I'm glad Biden isn't president anymore. Flying from the Cape to Virginia could be a pain given his propensity for Nantucket and the Delaware shores. Trump for the most part sticks to the outskirts of NYC and Florida which are nowhere near anywhere I'm flying. I feel bad for our Florida aviators, though. I strongly agree that this massive TFR around the President needs to be reconsidered.
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Solid response dude and thank you.

Really wasn't intending for it to be "political" as that subject does not interest me much these days---after decades of following--seems pretty clear to me they are all one in the same---no matter who you vote for the result is the same: more foreign adventurism (war) and more crushing deficits.
 
Lindberg said:
The president's public schedule is published in advance on the web. It's a lot more specific than a TFR.
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Exactly.

And don't tell me we need giant TFRs for "safety" when these guys speak and appear in public venues. Under what circumstance is someone flying there 172 into West Palm going to create a threat to our "Commander in Chief"? If presidential security such a priority, maybe these clowns should just zoom as opposed to flying off to France or Alaska or "important meetings" that never seem to resolve anything?

Sort of like what real threat is being eliminated by pulling some 72 year old woman out of line at TSA for "body check"? Its the theater of safety and security and no one seems to care about the inconvenience it causes the average citizen. Yeah--we have all seen it happen and its absurd.
 
WJG-GMT-RootBeer said:
Exactly.

And don't tell me we need giant TFRs for "safety" when these guys speak and appear in public venues. Under what circumstance is someone flying there 172 into West Palm going to create a threat to our "Commander in Chief"? If presidential security such a priority, maybe these clowns should just zoom as opposed to flying off to France or Alaska or "important meetings" that never seem to resolve anything?
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You're missing the point. And if you can't separate the office from the person holding it, you probably will continue to.
 
Lindberg said:
You're missing the point. And if you can't separate the office from the person holding it, you probably will continue to.
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Wasn't trying to separate--there is no need to----no matter which label gets elected--the result tends to be quite the same.
 
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