What the heck was going on in the skies above Donald Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey golf club this weekend? The airspace above the area is heavily restricted whenever the president is staying there, which he was after the White House Fourth of July festivities, and there was not one violation, not two; no, there were at least 11 incursions and fighter jets had to be scrambled on one occasion.
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) intercepted 11 civilian aircraft that violated Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey, during President Donald Trump's July 4 weekend visit. The violations occurred across multiple days, with five unauthorized incursions on Saturday alone and additional breaches continuing through Sunday morning.
NORAD had notified pilots that they were forbidden to enter the airspace, but it appears that some never read the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) guidance or just outright ignored it. There are “no excuses” for this, NORAD warned:
NORAD intercepted a plane violating a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over Bedminster, NJ on July 5, 2025. Pilots, a reminder to check FAA NOTAMs before you fly! ➡️ https://t.co/gCkz8RJmkY Fly informed. Fly safe. #NORAD #AviationSafety https://t.co/5wJvXXnbTA
— North American Aerospace Defense Command (@NORADCommand) July 5, 2025
An F-16 was forced to use the “headbutt maneuver” at least once:
A fighter jet scrambled by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) intercepted a civilian aircraft Saturday afternoon after it entered restricted airspace over Bedminster, New Jersey, where President Donald Trump is spending the holiday weekend.
The pilot flew into a temporary flight restriction (TFR) zone just before 2:40 p.m. ET, according to a NORAD statement.
The aircraft was safely escorted out of the area after a standard "headbutt" maneuver was used to get the pilot’s attention. The maneuver involves a military jet flying directly in front of a civilian aircraft at a close but safe distance to visually signal the pilot to either follow or change course.
"Welcome to the No-Fly Zone. Can I interest you in a headbutt maneuver?" Five restricted airspace violations in one day. NORAD is out here doing laps. #bedminster pic.twitter.com/yTx6BBImQY
— Soldier of Fortune Magazine (@sofmagpublisher) July 5, 2025
NORAD told pilots in the area to do better:
In a message to pilots, NORAD stressed: "It is critically important for North American flight safety that Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) violations are avoided. All pilots must familiarize themselves with updates to restricted airspace, including reviewing new and existing FAA NOTAMs that impact their flight plans and activities. Adhering to FAA restricted airspace protocols is mandatory, regardless of geographical region, airframe, or aircrew."
Although these types of airspace violations are not uncommon—there have been multiple incursions above Mar-a-Lago since Trump took office—and they usually involve pilot error and not malicious intent. Nonetheless, 11 seems like an awful lot for one weekend, especially since it costs taxpayers $50,000 every time we have to send up F-16s, according to Vice Director of NORAD operations Steven Armstrong. They also strain military resources.
Start paying more attention to those NOTAMS, civilian aircraft pilots!
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