NORAD Fighter Jets Intercept Aircraft Near Trump’s Bedminster Golf Club

NORAD said F-16 fighter jets were scrambled Sunday to intercept general aviation aircraft over Bedminster, New Jersey, after the planes allegedly entered airspace covered by temporary flight restrictions.

Air Forces Northern, part of 1st Air Force, later specified that the incident involved two aircraft.

Officials said NORAD aircraft guided the civilian planes out of the restricted zone safely.

The flight limits had been established around Bedminster, where President Donald Trump was expected to spend the weekend at his golf club during the four-day LIV Golf New York tournament.

Video of the encounter showed a tense moment as an F-16 moved in near what appeared to be a small Cessna aircraft around Jefferson Township, just outside Bedminster.

Before Trump’s arrival in New Jersey, NORAD had announced it would enforce several FAA-designated temporary flight restrictions across the region throughout the weekend.

Pilots and residents were also advised that U.S. Army ground-based air defense assets could be operating nearby under the Continental U.S. NORAD Region as part of the command’s standard layered defense posture.

“These systems are operating under NORAD authorities, constitute a routine component of the command’s layered defense posture and work in tandem with the command’s airborne assets to monitor and protect the airspace,” information published by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service said. 

Officials used the incident to remind general aviation pilots to check Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) before every flight for the latest information on airspace restrictions and other flight procedures, as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

“Check NOTAMs before EVERY flight!” 1st AF/AFNORTH said in a post on X. 

If a pilot becomes intercepted by NORAD aircraft, the pilot should immediately adjust their radio frequency to 121.5 or 243.0, according to information published by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service. 

They should then “turn around to reverse course until receiving additional instructions on one of those frequencies.”

Temporary flight restrictions are often issued to limit aircraft operations in designated areas for presidential movements, major sporting events, national security concerns and other special events. 

NORAD often employs a network of radars, satellites, fighter aircraft and other capabilities to identify and respond to potential threats in the North American airspace.