Floatplane pilots are getting a break: Wasilla Lake will serve as another security checkpoint for small planes while President Barack Obama is in Alaska, allowing pilots to stop there and then head on to Lake Hood in Anchorage during periods when airspace is restricted, under a notice to airmen published Friday by the Federal Aviation Administration.
That’s a change from temporary flight restrictions released Wednesday. At that point, there was only one spot for general aviation planes to be cleared outside of Anchorage, at the Palmer Municipal Airport, which only serves wheeled aircraft.
Now both Wasilla Lake and Palmer will serve as “gateway airports,” where pilots, passengers and aircraft can be screened before heading to any of three approved airports in the city: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, Merrill Field and the Lake Hood Seaplane Base. The Transportation Security Administration will set up screening stations and pilots must call 907-771-2950 at least 24 hours in advance to register for clearance, according to the FAA.
Restrictions have not yet been announced for Dillingham, Kotzebue or Seward, where the president is also visiting. Jane Dale, executive director of the Alaska Air Carriers Association, said carriers have been told there will be complete closures of airspace around Dillingham and Kotzebue for several hours during the president's stay. She wasn't sure about Seward.
"I do think they are trying to accommodate aviation on some of the busiest days of the year. We appreciate work they've put into this area. There still are going to be some inconveniences," Dale said."I am a little concerned about Dillingham and Kotzebue, where it's going to be closed."
Dale was at Wasilla Lake checking out the area that will likely be used for the temporary checkpoint.
"There's a nice big long dock," she said. TSA will use hand wands to check passengers and pilots, air carriers have been told. Bags may be opened. Passengers will need to have ID.
The FAA has announced tightened security for some airspace in Alaska while the president visits the state, including periods from Monday to Wednesday in which small planes will need to undergo the checks if flying within a 10-mile security radius. The FAA earlier had said the spot was centered near the Anchorage airport. On Friday, a document provided by the FAA said the zone is centered around a spot "roughly 6.7 miles northeast of Anchorage International Airport." That appears to put it at Joint-Base Elmendorf Richardson.
The earlier flight restriction allowed floatplanes to leave from Lake Hood during the restricted periods, but didn't provide a means for them to return.
The president's visit coincides with the start of moose and waterfowl hunting seasons in Southcentral Alaska, which increase air traffic in what are already busy skies.
Some of the times have been changed from what was announced earlier. The first period of extra security checks within the 10-mile zone starts Monday at 1:15 p.m. and ends Tuesday at 11 a.m. A second period begins Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. and ends Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.
In addition, from 11 p.m. Wednesday to 12:30 a.m. Thursday, no general aviation operations will be allowed in or out of Anchorage airport, Merrill Field, Palmer or Lake Hood, under the flight restrictions.
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Flight rules during Obama visit include checkpoint stops for small planes
Flight rules intended to secure airspace during President Barack Obama’s visit next week will mean sharp limits and checkpoints for small planes, including the use of the Palmer Municipal Airport as a “gateway airport.”
The restrictions for Anchorage were announced in a series of “notices to airmen.” The security rules do not specifically ground floatplanes, one of the main concerns of air taxis and private pilots. An advisory last week had floatplanes on the list of craft that might be prohibited.
But during windows in which extra security checks are in place, floatplanes within a restricted 10-mile zone around Stevens Anchorage International Airport will only be able to depart from one spot: the Lake Hood floatplane base. And they won’t be able to land there, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
"With appropriate clearance, they can leave during the restriction, but ... they can't come back," said Kerry Long, FAA regional administrator for Alaska.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday afternoon posted temporary flight restrictions for Anchorage airspace for various periods of time from Monday, Aug. 31, to Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The restrictions, when in force, also prevent anyone from flying drones within 30 miles of Stevens Airport. The Secret Service could shut down the airspace if someone tries to get a drone video of the president’s motorcade.
The FAA had previously warned that pilots who violate the airspace security rules can face deadly force. The military could scramble fighter jets and helicopters to intercept wayward planes, an FAA spokesman said.
The restrictions for Anchorage airspace begin Monday at 1 p.m. and go in and out of effect over the next two days, depending on the president’s location in Alaska. He also is scheduled to visit Seward, Dillingham and Kotzebue. Temporary flight restrictions for those areas have not yet been published.
Military planes, air ambulances and scheduled commercial and cargo aircraft are not covered by the extra rules, which mainly affect small aircraft and charter planes.
Monday will be challenging for many pilots trying to fly into or out of Anchorage, said Jane Dale, executive director of Alaska Air Carriers Association. She said the rules are difficult to decipher and she had been fielding calls from worried pilots. But there are long stretches during the middle of the day Tuesday and for most of Wednesday with no special flight restrictions in effect, she said.
Long, of the FAA, said in an interview Wednesday evening just before he boarded a flight that security checks for small aircraft and charter planes will be available in four locations: Stevens Airport, Palmer Municipal Airport, Merrill Field and Lake Hood.
Screenings by the Transportation Security Administration of pilots, passengers, crews, planes and baggage will occur at those locations, starting before restrictions kick in. Screenings won’t be offered during times when the extra security rules are lifted, or in the middle of the night.
The first window in which the special security checks are required starts Monday at 1 p.m. and lasts until 11 a.m. Tuesday. During that time, planes that have been cleared will be able to leave Lake Hood, as well as the other special checkpoints.
Incoming planes under the restrictions will need to stop in Palmer for a check before proceeding to Anchorage. That excludes floatplanes, which will have to wait until midday Tuesday to return. Long said the restrictions are a compromise.
A second window for special checks begins at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday and runs through Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., under the FAA announcements.
Pilots can call the TSA at 907-771-2950 starting Friday to register for screening and must do so at least 24 hours before they plan to fly.
The final notice to airmen runs from 10:15 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday and does not include the option for special screening. Small planes in the inner 10-mile zone will not be able to fly during that stretch.
During the times of flight restrictions, in an area 10 to 30 miles out from the Anchorage airport, planes may be able to fly without special screening, but will have to be in contact with air traffic control. Those operating in the 10-mile inner zone also must stay in constant communication with air traffic control.
Pilots and others in Alaska’s aviation community have been concerned in part because the president’s visit coincides with the start of moose and waterfowl hunting seasons. The Lake Hood floatplane base, within the 10-mile inner zone of security, is the busiest in the world.
"There are substantial periods of time when there is no restrictions on flight, when you can fly anywhere and do anything. That's when the Secret Service has decided it doesn't pose a threat" to the president, Long said.
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