SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:
As rural Nevada prepares for Alienstock -- a music festival born of a joke Facebook event to storm Area 51 -- the Federal Aviation Administration is closing down airspace above the classified area where some believe the government is hiding evidence of extraterrestrial life.
In two NOTAMs (for "notice to airmen") Friday and Monday, the FAA issued "temporary flight restrictions for special security reasons," banning aircraft in the vicinity. The coordinates given are for areas south and west of Rachel, Nevada, including the the US Air Force's Nevada Test and Training Range. One ban runs Sept. 18-23, and [the] other runs Sept. 19-23.
Separately, Pulse reports:
Airspace around the fabled Area 51 facility in Nevada will be closed to all air traffic this week in advance of the upcoming "Storm Area 51" event.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) posted two temporary flight restrictions (TFR) on Monday, closing airspace to news helicopters, drones, private pilots, and anyone else above [these] two areas near the facility from Wednesday, September 18 at 7 a.m. Pacific time, to Sunday, September 22 at 8 p.m. Pacific time.
The Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) outlining the restrictions specify that only aircraft "working in support of the Department of Energy (DOE) Mission are allowed to enter the TFR." The DOE controls Area 51 along with the Department of Defense.
Notably, even emergency service aircraft are prohibited from flying within the TFR. From the NOTAM:
ALL EMERGENCY/LIFE SAVING FLIGHT (MEDICAL/LAW ENFORCEMENT/FIREFIGHTING) OPERATIONS MUST COORDINATE WITH DOE PRIOR TO THEIR ENTRY INTO THE TFR AT 702-295-0311 TO AVOID POTENTIAL DELAYS.
The first TFR covers the northwest edge of restricted airspace above the actual Area 51 facilities, creating an additional buffer surrounding some of the "most restricted airspace in the world". The second TFR is along the southern edge of the Nevada Test and Training Range, according to The Drive.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 18 2019, @04:57PM (1 child)
To see it visually slide over to https://skyvector.com [skyvector.com] and make sure the "Temporary Flight Restrictions" box is checked under the 'Layers' menu in the upper right. They are just adding a little more exclusion space to the Southwest and the Northeast to the permanent boxes that surround the test range and Area 51 already.
It wouldn't surprise me that they did this for drones as well (not just hobby drones but the semi-commercial ones). I've read elsewhere that even with the existing permanent boxes one can just barely see part of Groom Lake skirting the Tikaboo valley West of Alamo, just along the current exclusion line at around 13,000 feet. Alamo is not that far away from Homey. I've flown the area in my flight sim and it seems plausible there.
And I'll bet they'll have escorts hot and waiting from both Creech and Tonopah KTNX for anyone stupid enough to try. You'll get a beautiful military escort before they fine and/or yank your license. Plus risk arrest.
(Score: 2) by legont on Wednesday September 18 2019, @06:34PM
This tfr prohibits even police and emergency medical flights.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.