NORAD figthters escort general aviation aircraft • Half Moon Bay Airport (KHAF), California

Residents around Monterey Bay were startled Friday afternoon by the sight of F-15 fighter jets in the skies above them corralling an aircraft flying in an area that was restricted due to President Obama’s visit. 

Just before 2 p.m., F-15s under the control of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, known as NORAD, saw an unresponsive aircraft enter airspace that was restricted due to Obama’s attendance at a cybersecurity summit at Stanford University.

Curious onlookers from San Francisco to Santa Cruz quickly took to social media, wondering why military planes were buzzing about at breakneck speeds. But, soon enough, the unresponsive plane re-established communication and was followed south to Half Moon Bay, where it landed without incident, according to a statement from NORAD.

Story and comments:  http://www.sfgate.com

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Two fighter jets were called to the skies above San Francisco Friday afternoon after a plane entered airspace that has been restricted during President Barack Obama’s visit to the Bay Area.

According to a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), two F-15’s found a general aviation aircraft in the airspace and the plane was out of communication.

NORAD said the plane was able reestablish communications. 

The plane was then escorted by the fighter jets to Half Moon Bay, where it safely landed.

Mr. Obama arrived in the Bay Area on Thursday. The president was at Stanford University on Friday for a summit on Cybersecurity and a roundtable with local business leaders. He returned to San Francisco late Friday afternoon for a Democratic National Committee fundraiser.

The president will depart San Francisco International Airport for Palm Springs on Saturday morning.

Story and comments:  http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com 

Press Release

15-02-13/001 | February 13, 2015

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Co - Fighter jets under the control of the North American Aerospace Defense Command visually identified a general aviation aircraft in the Temporary Flight Restricted (TFR) area over San Francisco, Calif., today, Feb. 13, 2015.

At approximately 1:50 p.m. PST, two F-15s visually identified a general aviation aircraft that was out of communication in the TFR. The aircraft re-established communications and was followed by the fighter jets until it safely landed at Half Moon Bay.

Information on the San Francisco TFR beginning on Feb. 13 and ending Feb. 14 can be located at http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_5_1405.html.

Information on the upcoming TFR for Palm Springs, CA beginning on Feb. 14 and ending on Feb. 16 can be located at http://tfr.faa.gov/save_pages/detail_5_2321.html.

NORAD's mission – in close collaboration with homeland defense, security, and law enforcement partners – is to prevent air attacks against North America, safeguard the sovereign airspaces of the United States and Canada by responding to unknown, unwanted and unauthorized air activity approaching and operating within these airspaces, and provide aerospace and maritime warning for North America.

As one of NORAD's critical airspace security partners, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides air traffic services for NORAD to safely and effectively perform its mission and to minimize the impacts on normal air traffic operations.

NORAD is the bi-national Canadian and American command that is responsible for the air defense of North America and maritime warning. The command has three subordinate regional headquarters: the Alaskan NORAD Region at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska; the Canadian NORAD Region at Winnipeg, Manitoba; and the Continental NORAD Region at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The command is poised both tactically and strategically in our nation’s capital to provide a multilayered defense to detect, deter and prevent potential threats flying over the airspace of the United States and Canada. 

Source: http://www.norad.mil