Discussion
I looked at the NYC area sectional chart for the first time in a while and noticed that there's a new prohibited airspace, designated P-75, covering most of midtown Manhattan (from 34th to about 72nd St) up to 1000 ft. It went into effect this August, and was put in to protect Trump Tower.
As much as I dislike Trump, I can't say I'm unhappy about the new restrictions, which will have the side effect of curtailing some of the very annoying sightseeing helicopters that buzz the area.
"Prohibited" areas are extremely rare in US airspace. There are only a few of them - the WH and Naval Observatory, for example, but not major military bases and other places you might think of as very sensitive. There are a few oddballs, like Mount Vernon and a large swath of northern Minnesota.
It's almost impossible for civilian aircraft to get permission to enter a prohibited area, and breaching them is taken VERY seriously.
The new P-75 will also be the death knell for the (long dormant) heliport on the roof of the former Pan Am (now MetLife) building just north of Grand Central. (The heliport was closed after a fatal crash in 1977, but every now and then someone proposes re-opening it).
Also, if anyone wants to re-open the Zeppelin dock at the Empire State Building, you can forget it now. Just inside the prohibited zone.
(On second thought, that one might be OK, since I believe the dock is above 1000 feet).
@mattblaze wtf is up with Northern MN? Like a giant military sized hotdish?
@PlasticJohnny Nature preserve with the flight restriction designated by congress (the only one).
@mattblaze oh, I did not know that about northern Minnesota. Looks like big parts of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area / Superior National Forest are a "prohibited" area. I would guess that is to prevent planes from landing on those lakes, many of these areas also have a motorboat prohibition.
@carstenfranke Yeah, that particular one is unique - the prohibition was created by an act of congress.
@mattblaze not to mention Kings Bay, Camp David, Mount Vernon, the Pantex assembly site …. KTXA on the other hand is merely restricted lol
@mattblaze Does he even go there anymore? LOL.
@mattblaze I think all of Paris is their equivalent of a prohibited airspace. The only reason I ever noticed it was when I crossed into the banlieue and suddenly there were helicopters.
Speaking of which, did you notice the lack of jet noise today?