Fighter jets intercept another pilot near Trump's Mar-a-Lago amid 'excessive' violations


Fighter jets intercept another pilot near Trump

Published 9 March 2025 PALM BEACH, Fla. — For the second time in as many days, North American Aerospace Defense Command fighter jets intercepted a pilot who entered the restricted airspace over President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club on Sunday. A civilian pilot violated the temporary flight restrictions issued for the airspace around Trump's Palm Beach home at about 1:15 p.m. Sunday, NORAD officials said in a news release. NORAD's F-16s escorted the aircraft safely out of the area, the agency said. The jets used flares that may have been visible from the ground during the intercept to get the pilot's attention, NORAD said. The agency noted that the flares are "employed with the highest regard for safety," and do not pose any danger to people on the ground. Adhering to posted flight restrictions is essential to flight safety and presidential and national security, Gen. Gregory Guillot, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command commander, said in the news release. "The procedures are not optional, and the excessive number of recent TFR violations indicates many civil aviators are not reading Notice to Airmen, or NOTAMs, before each flight as required by the Federal Aviation Administration, and has resulted in multiple responses by NORAD fighter aircraft to guide offending aircraft out of the TFR," Guillot said.