POTUS TFR PIREP

[jlunseth]

I flew to Memphis (DeWitt Spain M01) from KFCM last Friday, and found myself flying out of the outer ring of a POTUS TFR for the first time.  We have had them here before, but I never had occasion to fly out of one.  I thought a PIREP might be helpful.

I have to say, it was a nonevent.  The TFR had a 10 mile inner ring and a 10 mile outer ring.  The inner ring, which is a no fly zone, ended at the east end of the field.  KFCM was in the outer ring.  Instructional flights were grounded, but departures were allowed either IFR or VFR with a discrete code and contact with ATC at all times.  I chose to file IFR.  The inner ring boundary was close enough that the FCM VOR, about 400 yards east of the end of 28L & R, was within the inner ring and the field itself was in the outer ring.  Because of this, departures were being allowed in a westerly direction only, regardless of winds.  Fortunately the winds were southwesterly, so 28 would have been the departure runway in any event. 

I filed KFCM direct M01.  Normally I would have filed the RST5.ALO departure, which is the route ATC generally uses for flights towards Memphis, but I expected special procedures to be in place.  The Rochester 5 starts well east of KFCM, which was where the inner ring of the TFR was located.  I was nevertheless cleared the RST5.ALO by Departure.  On takeoff, ATC vectored me to the RST5, but I would have to say I did not get anymore vectors than I would have normally expected for this route of flight.

All in all, it was an uneventful experience.  No military jets that I could see, and certainly none off my wings.   It did seem to me that the ATC controllers on duty were the "A team."  Calls were very crisp.  But I might be imagining that. 

[igorbly]

Ha! Usually they stick the new guys on position when there's unusual activity. "Good training opportunity."

[KSMooniac]

I flew into M01 on Saturday of Memorial weekend... it is a great little airport!  

My only Presidential TFR experience was flying back into Wichita when Bush 43 was here for an event.  I mis-timed my departure from TX and the TFR was hot as I approached my home base, inside the no-fly zone.  I started diverting to a different field and heard AF1 depart McConnell AFB and check on frequency, and of course they got cleared direct.  :-)  I was then able to head back to home directly and it worked out just fine with perhaps a 10 minute delay for me.

[231flyer]

Last September I was stuck with a VPOTUS (Biden) restriction at Boca Raton.  I tried to file to BCT but the system would not accept the flightplan.  I filed for Palm Beach and took off from Cross City (CTY).  The Miami Center controller finally solved the mystery BCT issue since the NOTAM was not specific of who or what was going in Boca.  The Miami controller was very helpful and asked me to request a divert once on frequency with Palm Beach approach.  I did and BCT opened up five minutes before I got in.  Turns out Biden was in Boca for his neice's wedding.  His brother lives in the sub-division next to my brother-in-law and all surface streets were blocked.  There were cops all over the place and a royal pain to get around town.