Aviation securityPrez security dome over Martha's Vineyard
On a typical summer day, about 700 small private planes land on Martha’s Vineyard, bringing rich vacationers — mostly from New York City — to what locals call The Rock; not while the president is on the island vacationing, though: The FAA Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the island for the duration of the president’s vacation
On a typical summer day, about 700 small private planes land on Martha’s Vineyard, bringing rich vacationers – mostly from New York City — to what locals call The Rock. Not while the president is on the island vacationing, though.
The FAA Temporary Flight Restriction is in place over the island for the duration of the presidential vacation. This means that no private planes can fly directly into the Vineyard without first stopping at one of three “gateway airports” for a security screening. The Boston Herald reports that the gateways are Hyannis, Providence, and White Plains, New York, and that the private jets must register by phone twenty-four hours in advance in order to clear their passage to the Vineyard.
The initial security plan devised by the Secret Service was even more restrictive – and demanding. The service wanted to route all traffic – including flights from the Boston area — through White Plains, where the private jet would have to pick up an agent and fly with the agent to the Vineyard. The owners of the jets would then be responsible for flying the agent back to New York, even if it meant renting another small plane and a pilot to do so. The plan was scrapped.
