Narrative:

While acting as PIC on a part 91, helicopter flight, returning from grater wilmington airport to wall street heliport in new york city, I obtained a WX brief/NOTAMS from our contracted WX service. Calling up the major points on his computer, revealed the impending presidential restr area in the teterboro area. Being the start time was after our movement through the area, we considered it a non-factor in our preflight brief. However, we agreed that when we transited the newark TCA, we would question them on any changes or concerns. Our VFR flight plan in the FMS passes over the trenton/robbinsville airport. Approximately 6 mi southwest of the airport, we transmitted on 123.0 (unicom), in the blind, of our position, altitude, and intentions of passing over the airport. At 3 mi, we repeated our new position and intentions. At no time did we receive a response from the unicom at the airport. As we passed over the airport at 1000 ft, we observed a large crowd and 3 presidential helicopters on the ramp area. The sudden awareness as to what had happened caused me a great deal of anxiety and anger. The remainder of the flight went as planned with no further difficulties or incident. At the completion of the flight, I began the process of understanding what had happened and why we weren't informed of the trenton/robbinsville presidential restr area when we checked the NOTAMS. My efforts revealed 2 distinctive problems, which I would like to share: 1) the NOTAMS on presidential restr areas are made public far too late, supposedly for reasons of security. Having experienced a long military career, I can appreciate that, however, these very last min NOTAM disclosures open the door to widespread confusion, distortion, and lack of knowledge. After the termination of flight, and with 75 percent of the president's visit complete, 2 FSS stations and our contract service had difficulty in finding the trenton/robbinsville NOTAM. In fact, 1 FSS station had none of the NOTAMS pertaining to the presidential visit. 2) the duat system does not reveal a NOTAM unless the specific VOR it is off of is specifically requested. Our WX brief checked the vors at our point of departure, newark, and new york city. We would have to have been aware of the presidential visit at trenton/robbinsville in order to request the robbinsville VOR for the NOTAM. In short, in not being aware of the visit, the NOTAM wouldn't reveal itself unless we requested the specific VOR. I feel like a victim of an overlooked trap rather than as a violator. Having enjoyed a proud and flawless, 27 yr career in professional aviation, I implore you to help in rectifying this potentially dangerous situation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CORPORATE HELI FLEW THROUGH A TEMPORARY PRESIDENTIAL RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: WHILE ACTING AS PIC ON A PART 91, HELI FLT, RETURNING FROM GRATER WILMINGTON ARPT TO WALL STREET HELIPORT IN NEW YORK CITY, I OBTAINED A WX BRIEF/NOTAMS FROM OUR CONTRACTED WX SVC. CALLING UP THE MAJOR POINTS ON HIS COMPUTER, REVEALED THE IMPENDING PRESIDENTIAL RESTR AREA IN THE TETERBORO AREA. BEING THE START TIME WAS AFTER OUR MOVEMENT THROUGH THE AREA, WE CONSIDERED IT A NON-FACTOR IN OUR PREFLT BRIEF. HOWEVER, WE AGREED THAT WHEN WE TRANSITED THE NEWARK TCA, WE WOULD QUESTION THEM ON ANY CHANGES OR CONCERNS. OUR VFR FLT PLAN IN THE FMS PASSES OVER THE TRENTON/ROBBINSVILLE ARPT. APPROX 6 MI SW OF THE ARPT, WE XMITTED ON 123.0 (UNICOM), IN THE BLIND, OF OUR POS, ALT, AND INTENTIONS OF PASSING OVER THE ARPT. AT 3 MI, WE REPEATED OUR NEW POS AND INTENTIONS. AT NO TIME DID WE RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM THE UNICOM AT THE ARPT. AS WE PASSED OVER THE ARPT AT 1000 FT, WE OBSERVED A LARGE CROWD AND 3 PRESIDENTIAL HELIS ON THE RAMP AREA. THE SUDDEN AWARENESS AS TO WHAT HAD HAPPENED CAUSED ME A GREAT DEAL OF ANXIETY AND ANGER. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WENT AS PLANNED WITH NO FURTHER DIFFICULTIES OR INCIDENT. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE FLT, I BEGAN THE PROCESS OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WHY WE WEREN'T INFORMED OF THE TRENTON/ROBBINSVILLE PRESIDENTIAL RESTR AREA WHEN WE CHKED THE NOTAMS. MY EFFORTS REVEALED 2 DISTINCTIVE PROBLEMS, WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE: 1) THE NOTAMS ON PRESIDENTIAL RESTR AREAS ARE MADE PUBLIC FAR TOO LATE, SUPPOSEDLY FOR REASONS OF SECURITY. HAVING EXPERIENCED A LONG MIL CAREER, I CAN APPRECIATE THAT, HOWEVER, THESE VERY LAST MIN NOTAM DISCLOSURES OPEN THE DOOR TO WIDESPREAD CONFUSION, DISTORTION, AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. AFTER THE TERMINATION OF FLT, AND WITH 75 PERCENT OF THE PRESIDENT'S VISIT COMPLETE, 2 FSS STATIONS AND OUR CONTRACT SVC HAD DIFFICULTY IN FINDING THE TRENTON/ROBBINSVILLE NOTAM. IN FACT, 1 FSS STATION HAD NONE OF THE NOTAMS PERTAINING TO THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT. 2) THE DUAT SYS DOES NOT REVEAL A NOTAM UNLESS THE SPECIFIC VOR IT IS OFF OF IS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED. OUR WX BRIEF CHKED THE VORS AT OUR POINT OF DEP, NEWARK, AND NEW YORK CITY. WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT AT TRENTON/ROBBINSVILLE IN ORDER TO REQUEST THE ROBBINSVILLE VOR FOR THE NOTAM. IN SHORT, IN NOT BEING AWARE OF THE VISIT, THE NOTAM WOULDN'T REVEAL ITSELF UNLESS WE REQUESTED THE SPECIFIC VOR. I FEEL LIKE A VICTIM OF AN OVERLOOKED TRAP RATHER THAN AS A VIOLATOR. HAVING ENJOYED A PROUD AND FLAWLESS, 27 YR CAREER IN PROFESSIONAL AVIATION, I IMPLORE YOU TO HELP IN RECTIFYING THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.