WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 (UPI) -- The federal government is placing additional flight restrictions on the Washington area Tuesday as President Bush delivers his State of Union address at the Capitol.
The precautions are part of an extensive security plan revolving around the speech, which the Department of Homeland Security Monday declared a National Special Security Event
The Secret Service will lead the inter-agency security effort, which also includes plenty of local police and the North American Aerospace Command and the United States Northern Command.
The Federal Aviation Administration said in an advisory that only law enforcement and military aircraft would be allowed inside the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) Tuesday evening as virtually the entire top leadership of the United States plus numerous other dignitaries crowds into the highly recognizable building.
The ADIZ is an area below 18,000 feet altitude and in a roughly 15-40 mile radius around the city. It was created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that used hijacked planes to hit the Pentagon and the World Trade Center.
Civil aircraft won't be allowed inside the ADIZ Tuesday night and violators face a potential interception by military helicopters or even an F-16 fighter that will escort them to a landing field in Maryland. Flight operations at most small airfield in the area will be suspended, although commercial and civil flights that have filed flight plans will be allowed in and out of Dulles and Baltimore.
To close any potential loopholes, the FAA applied the rules to all manner of aircraft, including planes towing banners, crop dusters, unmanned aerial vehicles and even skydivers.
Similar regulations have also been announced for the upcoming Feb. 4 Super Bowl in Miami that will ban private aircraft from coming within 10 miles of the stadium.
