People can wave “Love trumps hate” signs or burn the American flag in protest outside Trump Tower, but don’t even think about flying over what the Trump Organization calls “the most prestigious intersection in all of New York City.”
The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed temporary flight restrictions over Trump’s gleaming Manhattan high-rise as a safety measure following his victory in Tuesday’s presidential election.
The two nautical mile radius no-fly zone bars flights below 3,000 feet in midtown Manhattan, where Trump Tower is located, according to the FAA. Military aircraft supporting the US Secret Service and emergency aircraft are exempt.
The restriction, which cites “VIP” movement as the reason for its implementation, expires January 21, the day after the President-elect’s inauguration.
A similar flight restriction was issued for the Indianapolis residence of the incoming vice president and current governor of Indiana, Mike Pence.
The Maryland-based Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said on its website that the order for Trump Tower restricts access to the popular Hudson River corridor, which offers aviators “a breathtaking view of the New York City skyline and also bustles with helicopter activity from companies offering sightseeing flights and business flights between helipads in the city.”
“AOPA respects the need to provide increased security for President-elect Donald Trump, but we will work to see if there is a way to balance the restrictions while maintaining (general aviation) access to the airspace,” Nobuyo Sakata, AOPA director of aviation security, said on the site.
The AOPA said temporary flight restrictions have “become more common in the post-9/11 heightened security environment, and often pop up on very short notice.”
Violation of the flight restrictions places a pilot’s certificate at risk and increases the likelihood of being intercepted by military or law enforcement aircraft, according to the FAA.
The FAA has issued TFRs near major sporting events, political conventions and nuclear sites.
The angular, 68-story Trump Tower — located on Fifth Avenue — has been the scene of numerous pro- and anti-Trump protests. As many as 5,000 people demonstrated there Wednesday, angered at Trump’s victory in the presidential election.