…TFRs Everywhere

The airspace around New Orleans and the Gulf coast is complicated, crowded and no place for aircraft that don’t have a role in the relief effort. That’s the clear message being sent by the federal government as the evacuation, rescue and resupply missions escalate. There are new TFRs up for New Orleans and the Mississippi coast and any civilian aircraft operating within them must be in contact with airborne early warning aircraft now patrolling the area. The whole area now falls under the Joint Task Force Katrina Airspace Control Plan, which is a combined effort between the military and FAA to keep planes from hitting each other. The flying gets even more complicated on Monday when President Bush visits Baton Rouge. A presidential TFR, with a 10-nm inner circle no-fly zone and a 30-nm outer ring with flight plan and transponder requirements will be in force from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. local time. Scheduled passenger flights and cargo aircraft will be able to use Baton Rouge during that time but the airport will be off limits to other aircraft, including those taking part in the relief effort.