The past few days I have overheard my husband and his friends’ grumblings about “how their weekend was “wrecked,” and how “now they are going to have to drive to Vero, and can’t fly….” Finally, I  asked: “what’s going on?”

So my husband, Ed, gave me the public documents…

Apparently, this Saturday and Sunday, March 28-29, 2015, a “Temporary Flight Restriction” (TFR) will be in place over Palm City for security measures as a ” VIP” will be visiting Palm City.

“The FAA has issued a flight advisory to alert pilots of an upcoming presidential temporary flight restriction (TFR) over the Palm City, Florida, area on March 28 and 29,” the Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association (AOPA) advisory reads.

Basically, a TFR is two circles in the air, as shown above, an “airspace,” that under Title 49 of the United States Code, the US Government may pursue criminal charges if a pilot is illegally in that space, and in fact, the US Government may use deadly force against airborne aircraft, if that aircraft poses a threat….yes, like an F-16 can shoot you down…

Hmmmm…

Thus—“I think we’ll dive…..”

F-16s aside, how quaint, that possibly the President of the United States will once again be in our parts during releases from Lake Okeechobee into the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon.

Lake Okeechobee discharges were happening when he visited in 2013 as well. But that year it was even worse as the river was toxic and signs were posted from the Martin County Health Department stating DO NOT TOUCH THE WATER.

Ironically, the C-23 canal, another polluting canal like the C-44 that is not attached to Lake Okeechobee,  boarders The Floridian, were I’d imagine President Obama may be playing golf….? And although the C-23 is not connected to Lake Okeechobee, its polluted agricultural and urban runoff  is killing our St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon as well.

Now that I’m thinking about it, maybe President Obama is going to play golf with Congressman Murphy? Soon to be US Senator Murphy….Maybe they can discuss the purchase of US Sugar option lands south of the lake to store, clean and convey water south to dying Everglades National Park? Maybe they can discuss the EPA and FDEP and their responsibility in documenting  the destruction of our river and reef aquatic preserves? Or maybe even trying to “protect” them? What a thought.

Maybe they can talk about how “IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN: ” (https://vimeo.com/119495955)

One way or another, I am sure, our St Lucie/Indian River Lagoon issues will “make it to the top.”

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AOPA FLIGHT ADVISORY:

Pilots should take note of an upcoming TFR over Palm City, Florida, March 28 and 29. Click to see the full alert. (http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2015/March/20/Pilots-should-note-upcoming-TFR-over-Florida)

The FAA has issued a flight advisory to alert pilots of an upcoming presidential temporary flight restriction over the Palm City, Florida, area on March 28 and 29. The FAA started reaching out to pilots in the area March 20 in an effort to decrease the number of TFR violations that typically occur in the state with such a high density of flight activity.

As of publication, a notam had not yet been released detailing the specifics of the upcoming Palm City TFR, but it will have the usual 30-nautical-mile-radius outer ring and inner 10-nm-radius general aviation no-fly zone, and it will extend from the surface up to but not including 18,000 feet. Gateway procedures for aircraft that need to operate at Witham Airport (KSUA) are detailed in the flight advisory. Melbourne International Airport (KMLB) and West Palm Beach Airport (KPBI) have been designated as TSA “security screening sites” for aircraft that need to fly into Witham during the TFR’s effective times, according to the flight advisory.