TFR over El Paso?

Warlock said:
Had to kill a cartel drone… it’s been lifted so for some of you the children will be okay…
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Seems like that would have been pretty obvious to folks on the ground and would have been reported by now. It's possible they had a credible threat which is no longer credible, perhaps neutralized on the ground.
 
Hmmm, more to the story...

"An industry official, who had been briefed on the matter by the FAA in a morning call and asked not to be identified, told the Tribune that the Defense Department has been operating unmanned aircraft, or drones, against drug cartel operations from a base near El Paso’s airport without sharing information with the FAA.​
​
“It has to do with the FAA’s inability to predict where [unmanned aircraft systems] might be flying,” the official told the Tribune. “They have been operating outside the normal flight paths.” "​

Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/11/el-paso-air-space-closed-faa/
 
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It’s not a DOD secret or do you need any unnamed named sources to know the 1st Armored Division flies drones out of Biggs AAF on Ft Bliss…
 
Van Johnston said:
the Defense Department has been operating unmanned aircraft, or drones, against drug cartel operations from a base near El Paso’s airport without sharing information with the FAA.
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I think they meant "War Department."

Yeah, I can see the FAA saying, "Well, if they're not going to talk to us, our only choice is to shut down everything and direct all complaints to the War Department." A few hours later, having had phones slammed by airlines, congress critters, cargo companies, businesses, etc., the War Dept decides maybe they can cooperate just a little bit with the FAA.
 
Warlock said:
It’s not a DOD secret or do you need any unnamed named sources to know the 1st Armored Division flies drones out of Biggs AAF on Ft Bliss…
Click to expand...

That's well known, but if they're not talking to ATC I can see some real problems. Everyone should be a bit spooked by the possibility of another Potomac incident.
 
Before the restrictions were lifted I checked ELP NOTAMS and there was no mention of it.
 
Warlock said:
Had to kill a cartel drone… it’s been lifted so for some of you the children will be okay…
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And also you, your family, your parents and anyone else who might have been the target of a cartel terrorist attack.

We don't know.
 
Or Maybe a USA airline CEO pulled some strings in Washington about this potential repercussion effect of this action….. and it got lifted up after a few hours………
 
murphey said:
Would you like to play a game?
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3wtzu4-1074323617.jpg

David: How about Global Thermonuclear War?
WOPR: WOULDN'T YOU PREFER A GOOD GAME OF CHESS?
David: Later. Let's play Global Thermonuclear War.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
Its over.

"Mexican cartel drones breached US airspace. The Department of War took action to disable the drones," an administration official told ABC News. "The FAA and DOW have determined there is no threat to commercial travel."
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Yeah, I don't buy that. They needed to shut down two different chunks of airspace for 10 days, for that?

I don't know of a single drone that can fly for 10 days, very few can even fly for 1 day.

mjlennon said:
Although I don't think it was a TFR, but a NOTAM.
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How is a TFR issued? :idea:
 
flyingcheesehead said:
Yeah, I don't buy that. They needed to shut down two different chunks of airspace for 10 days, for that?

I don't know of a single drone that can fly for 10 days, very few can even fly for 1 day.
How is a TFR issued? :idea:
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We were getting night flights of ultras-lights out of Mexico when I was trying to fly in the summer ... might account for the other trapezoid TFR. They'd drop 100 pounds of drugs with a phone or apple tag in the desert near the airport. They used us to try and "blend in" as far as radar signature(s).

Piperonca said:
I heard the 'cartel drone' was actually a party balloon.
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I think that was the second one. They supposedly used some new laser device out of Biggs Field army airbase adjacent to KELP on the drone(s). For small areas they have jamming devices that bring the drones down.

We get a thin TFR only to 500-750 feet from White Sands Missle Range to the border each summer that backs up the BIG drones that fly out of San Angelo and come to the border (there's a TFR over San Angelo for them to have a circular climbing area as they climb above 18k feet prior to heading to the border).

It used to be the government drones had to have a "chase" plane with them ... but that ended years ago. We get night time Notams telling us to keep all navigation lights on at all times when operating within 50 miles of the border.
 
Van Johnston said:
Hmmm, more to the story...

"An industry official, who had been briefed on the matter by the FAA in a morning call and asked not to be identified, told the Tribune that the Defense Department has been operating unmanned aircraft, or drones, against drug cartel operations from a base near El Paso’s airport without sharing information with the FAA.​
​
“It has to do with the FAA’s inability to predict where [unmanned aircraft systems] might be flying,” the official told the Tribune. “They have been operating outside the normal flight paths.” "​

Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/11/el-paso-air-space-closed-faa/
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Wasn’t it just a year ago that the Army not playing well with civilian traffic killed a score of Americans?

I’d say give the old heave-ho to just about every star in the Army and replace them with salty E-4s.
 
Lindberg said:
That was the further notice.
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The NM Desert trapezoid is still in place.

Overflight traffic is occurring, but my Foreflight is showing nearby traffic at 0 knots, while other areas are normal. Not sure if it is just me.

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I wonder if it was in effect the time I took off from Juarez, at night, no clearance from them OR El Paso approach… tower screaming at me the whole time “you do not have permission to take off…” AFTER I threatened to take off from the taxiway?

“Juarez traffic, this is me, turning north, departing the pattern, last call….”

Break

“El Paso approach, this is me, squawking 7700, like a visual approach”

“Roger you, this is El Paso approach, cleared visual, follow the follow me truck after landing”
 
"spat" ooookay - as always, there is more to the story than is conveyed by click-bait.
 
A spat between FAA, DOD sort of puts FAA in a no win position. I dont know who's drone, or what was being used to find and disable it. If a medium size drone goes thru a RR commercial engine on short final for ELP there is going to be hell to pay at FAA hdqtrs. Not saying specifically I support the shutdown, but not sure what alternatives there were if the ATC had intel about drones in the zone.
 
172andyou said:
Jesus... This is would be hilarious if these people weren't in charge of our military...
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FTFY.

Four Seasons Total Landscaping was funny. This ain't funny any more. I expect better of our government no matter who or which party is in charge. This is like putting a "kick me" sign on your own back, and it's not good for any of us.

Anyone still expect that the FAA/DOT and DOD/DOW are going to be able to work together to put a new modernized ATC system in place?
 
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