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BULLHEAD CITY, AZ (KTVK/KPHO) — A fighter jet intercepted a plane during President Trump’s rally in Bullhead City on Wednesday afternoon.
President Trump noticed the plane during his rally and made mention of the fighter jets in place. “Wow,” he said. “Look at that sucker! He’s trying to show off for the president.”
According to the North American Aerospace Defense Command, at about 1:00 p.m., a NORAD F-16 aircraft investigated a general aviation plane that was not in communication with air traffic control. The plane entered the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) without proper clearance.
The plane was not responsive to initial procedures but established radio communication after NORAD aircraft deployed signal flares and was escorted out of the area without incident.
Wherever President Trump visits, a TFR is in place. This means aircraft are prohibited from flying near the event site.
For Bullhead City, there was a TFR in place at the Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport from 11:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
“I suspect it was quite a surprise but then the message would also be relatively clear. You want to resolve that hazard as quickly as you can,” said Parker Northrup.
Northrup is head of the flight training program at Embry Riddle in Prescott and flew B52s in the Air Force for over 20 years. He said this is not a common occurrence.
“In an area like Arizona where we don’t have these types of visits very often, I would think it’s a pretty rare event,” he said. “Anytime an aircraft or a UAV or drone or anybody enters a temporary flight restriction, by definition you are entering an area where you’re creating a hazard.”
According to the website, “NORAD is a United States and Canada bi-national organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning and aerospace control for North America. Aerospace warning includes the detection, validation, and warning of attack against North America whether by aircraft, missiles, or space vehicles, through mutual support arrangements with other commands.
Aerospace control includes ensuring air sovereignty and air defense of the airspace of Canada and the United States.”
NORAD is also known to many people as the organization that “tracks Santa” every Christmas, a tradition dating back to the 1950s.
The “NORAD Tracks Santa” is one of the Department of Defense’s largest community outreach programs, with 15 million visitors a year from around the world. For more information about NORAD Tracks Santa, visit noradsanta.org.
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