Yesterday, President Obama headed to Connecticut for a big fundraiser, so he flew into JFK Airport and then took a helicopter to the Nutmeg State. The FAA had issued an advisory last Friday about no unnecessary aircraft being in the President's aura/airspace on Monday—but some people didn't get the memo! Like the guy flying his kit airplane over Long Island: Two fighter jets had to escort him to MacArthur Airport around 7 p.m.
Various Long Island residents caught the unusual sight of fighter jets overhead. A Belleport couple, George and Debra Canellis, spoke to NBC New York: George said, "You could even feel it. It was such a deep rumble," while Debra said, "I got firsthand the feeling of what it's like to have jet fighters over your house, and that's terrifying. It's not a good feeling."
According to Newsday, "Two F-15 jets from the Barnes Air National Guard base in Massachusetts were dispatched by the North American Aerospace Defense Command and flew alongside the small plane until it landed about 7 p.m., Lt. Cmdr. Bill Lewis at NORAD said." The pilot, who was flying a Kitfox plane, was greeted by police. Another plane entered the airspace over New Haven, Connecticut at 7:30 p.m.; fighter jets flew around it and then allowed it to continue on.
The FAA said, "There’s an obligation on the part of the pilots to make sure if they are flying near the boundaries that they are aware that they must stay out and fly around it."
