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Unmanned drones could soon be buzzing in the skies above many U.S. cities, as the federal government green-lights the technology for local law enforcement amid widespread privacy concerns. The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday began to explain the rules of the sky for these newly licensed drones at potentially dozens of sites across the country. The agency, on its website, said that government "entities" will have to obtain a special certificate in order to fly the aircraft, adding that the FAA is "streamlining the process for public agencies to safely fly (drones) in the nation's airspace." In doing so, the...

F-16 Jets Intercept Small Plane as Obama Leaves LA The plane was forced to land at El Monte Airport on Friday morning as Air Force One was leaving LAX The North American Aerospace Defense Command scrambled the two jets that intercepted the Piper 28 aircraft over northeast Los Angeles at approximately 9:45 a.m. PDT, and followed it until it landed about five minutes later and was met by local law enforcement, NORAD said in a statement. The Piper landed at the small airport in El Monte about 15 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, local police Lt. Dan Burlingham said....

TEHRAN (FNA) - If the United States spy drone that was recently downed by the Iranian Armed Forces in the Eastern parts of the country had been a jet fighter, we would have hit all the US military bases throughout the world, a senior Iranian lawmaker warned on Friday. "If this had been a fighter jet, the conditions would have been different now as we would have pounded all the US military bases on the planet," Vice-Chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission Esmayeel Kowsari told FNA. "We have repeatedly said and we caution again that...

FLASH: LIBYA CLOSES AIR SPACE TO ALL FLIGHTS -- MEDIA

In the second such incident within 30 days to possibly probe India's air defence network along the J&K border, Pakistani military aircraft virtually violated Indian airspace in the R S Pura sector near Jammu on Wednesday. Sources said BSF ground-based mobile observation posts spotted two Pakistani ''light military aircraft'' cruising along the border on Wednesday, with some reports even holding the planes actually crossed over into Indian airspace for some time to fly over four Indian border posts. Even if the aircraft did not actually enter Indian airspace, the incident clearly violates the two decade-old agreement between India and Pakistan,...

Of the 29 instances Indian air space has been violated in the past three years, Pakistani aircraft have been responsible 23 times. Replying to a query in parliament on Monday, defence minister AK Antony said between 2007 and 2010, Indian air space was violated 29 times — 23 times by Pakistan, once by Bangladesh, thrice by China and twice by the US. Former air chief marshal FH Major, who headed Indian Air Force (IAF) during 2007-2009, told DNA, “Violations take place due to bad weather and technical problems.” Each country has a certain area near the international boundary which is...

Two F-16 fighter jets briefly took to the skies over Washington on Monday after a small passenger aircraft violated the capital's airspace restrictions, according to military officials. A portion of the White House grounds was briefly evacuated during the incident. The passenger plane -- a Cessna 182 -- was intercepted by the F-16s at 2:19 p.m. EST, a statement from the North American Aerospace Defense Command noted. The plane was escorted to an airport in nearby Manassas, Virginia, where it landed at 2:32 p.m. EST.

In first claim of invasion, military drill spokesman says planes were intercepted by Iranian jets Associated Press Published: 11.17.10, 11:32 / Israel News Iran says that unidentified foreign planes violated its air space six times as the country kicked off an air defense drill, but that they were intercepted and forced back by Iranian jets. The remarks by Gen. Hamid Arjangi, a spokesman for the exercise, are the first Iranian claim of an intrusion. His comments were carried Wednesday by the semi-official Fars news agency. Arjangi says Iran's radar stations and observation posts reported six cases of foreign planes entering...

Turkey has closed its airspace to Israeli military flights following a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship, the Turkish prime minister and officials said Monday. Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Toronto that Turkey imposed the ban after the May 31 raid on a Turkish ship that was part of a six-vessel international aid flotilla, according to the state-run Anatolia news agency. The prime minister, who is in Canada to attend a summit of the Group of 20 major industrial and developing nations, did not elaborate. On Sunday, Israel's Yediot Ahronot newspaper reported that Turkey had not allowed a...

April 30, military contingents conducting the QRA Baltic Air-policing mission will change during a ceremony at the LAF Siauliai Air Base: Polish Air Contingent with four MiG-29 will replace French soldiers. Polish forces are deploying air assets for the Baltic Air-policing mission for the third time (after service on January-March 2006 and March-June 2008 with MiG-29 fighter-jets). The majority of the present shift come from the 23rd Air Base and the 1st Tactical Squadron of the Polish Air Force based in Minsk Mazowiecki near Warsaw. The third Polish rotation named „Eagle 3" will comprise 100 troops, 8 of them pilots....

-- Russia is increasingly flexing its military muscles by penetrating Western airspace. European defense officials have been worried about an increasing number of Russian bombers entering Western airspace. A pair of Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack bombers -- the largest jet-powered combat aircraft ever built, capable of carrying nuclear missiles -- last month entered British airspace over Northern Scotland, Deutsche Welle reports. Two Tornado fighter jets from the British air force intercepted the supersonic bombers, accompanying them for four hours until they left British airspace. Similar incidents have occurred in recent years; London has said Russian planes have penetrated British airspace more...

Kazakhstan has decided to open its airspace to U.S. military aircraft ferrying supplies to American troops serving in Afghanistan, it was decided on Sunday at a meeting between President Barack Obama and his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev in Washington. The permission granted by Kazakstan means that U.S. planes en route to Afghanistan can now use the polar route instead of flying along the indirect route through Europe, which would save precious time and fuel for moving supplies to forward locations in the war-ravaged country. The meeting, the first between the two leaders, took place on the eve of the Nuclear...

The eight-seat recreational airplane, a single-engine Gippsland Airvan, is cruising peacefully over southern Maryland on a hazy June afternoon, pilot and passengers enjoying the view from 4,000 feet, where the Nanticoke River runs into the swamplands at the edge of the Chesapeake Bay. Suddenly—whoosh! A trademark shape most of us encounter only in the movies or at airshows darts underneath the 100-knot pleasure craft, then carves a semi-circle in the sky in front of it. A voice crackles in the pilot’s headset: “This is a United States Air Force armed F-16. You are in violation of restricted airspace. Do you...

The prime ministers of Turkey and Lebanon on Monday lashed out at Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace and air strikes in Gaza, warning they were undermining prospects for peace in the region. "Attacks on Lebanon is terrorism itself... We have to stand shoulder by shoulder against the enemy's plans... We have to stop Israel," visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri told a press conference. Lebanese anti-aircraft guns opened fire on four Israeli warplanes which were violating its airspace at low altitude on Monday, the military said. Israel argues that the overflights are necessary to monitor what it says is massive...

Shaw Air Force Base Airmen supporting the Operation Noble Eagle alert mission provide quick-reaction support to protect U.S. airspace and significant events like presidential movements and space shuttle launches. "We have to be ready if the alarm goes off at 2:30 in the morning," said Master Sgt. William Martin, the alert NCO in charge. "I want everything to be ingrained in (the Airmen) so they can get the mission done." Recently, the alert Airmen were tested by Exercise Fertile Keynote. The exercise was conducted by officials from the 20th Fighter Wing plans and inspections to prepare for an upcoming inspection...

Plane, with different pilot, again flies into restricted air space over Washington, DC THE ASSOCIATED PRESS LANCASTER, Pennsylvania - A small airplane that flew into restricted air space and caused the evacuation of the White House four years ago has been involved in a similar incident. Federal officials say the 1970 Cessna 150 entered the no-fly zone Tuesday and was escorted down by two Coast Guard helicopters, according to the Lancaster New Era. The pilot's name wasn't released. The plane is owned by the Vintage Aero Club, a group based at the Smoketown Airport near Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A club spokesman...

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan, Nov. 13, 2008 – While many young men his age are just thinking about their next step in life, 19-year-old Army Pvt. Ryan Masterson is keeping an eye on the airspace in a combat zone. Army Pvt. Ryan Masterson, aviation operations specialist with the 1st Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, responds to a call from an outlying unit. Masterson tracks the airspace for all the brigade’s units so they get supplies and air support when needed. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Masterson, from McHenry, Ill., is an aviation operations specialist for...

Mr McCain's nomination of Mrs Palin, currently governor of Alaska, sent shockwaves through the US electorate. For a moment on Friday morning US media pundits seemed stunned, scrambling to paint a picture of this virtually unknown newcomer to the national scene. The governor of the largest and least densely-populated US state became the focus of the nation. Even the Alaskan media was caught off-guard. "I was in the middle of our morning newscast when the producers said in my ear that it was going to be her," said Matthew Simon, senior reporter at the CBS News affiliate in Anchorage, Alaska....

US 'violated Venezuela airspace'The US airplane is part of a counter-narcotics taskforce in the Caribbean The US ambassador in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, has been summoned to explain Saturday's event. US officials admitted a naval plane on a counter-narcotics mission had "navigational problems" that led it to briefly enter Venezuelan airspace. Tension has been rising in the region with both the US and Colombia accusing Caracas of financing Colombian rebels. 'Series of provocations' Venezuelan Defence Minister Gustavo Rangel said the US jet had been tracked by his country's air defences over the Venezuelan-owned island of La Orchila on Saturday. Mr Rangel...

CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuela wants the U.S. ambassador to explain a violation of its airspace by a U.S. Navy plane, the country's foreign minister said Monday. The U.S. Navy plane was detected in Venezuelan airspace Saturday night near the Caribbean island of La Orchila, and questioned by the Caracas airport control tower, Defense Minister Gen. Gustavo Rangel Briceno said. The Navy S-3 Viking, used for counter-narcotics missions, may have accidentally crossed into Venezuela's airspace while experiencing "intermittent navigational problems" on a training mission in international airspace, a U.S. defense official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the issue's...

Syria is mulling a "series of responses" after Israeli warplanes violated its airspace this week, Vice President Faruq al-Shara said in an interview with an Italian newspaper published Saturday. "I can say now that in Damascus a series of responses is being examined at the highest political and military levels. The results will not take long in coming," Shara told La Repubblica during a visit to Rome.

Pilot strays into restricted airspace over Bush ranch The Associated PressPublished: January 1, 2007 WASHINGTON: A small plane twice strayed into restricted airspace over President George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, authorities said Monday. The violation was inadvertent, FAA spokeswoman Diane Stitaliere said. The propeller plane, a Maule M-7, wandered into restricted airspace above the ranch around 11:30 p.m. local time Sunday, prompting the scrambling of F-16 fighter jets, said Air Force Maj. April Cunningham, spokeswoman for the North American Aerospace Defence Command. The jets used flares to get the attention of the pilot, who landed and was interviewed...

N. Korean Missile Export... Blocked by China [MBC TV 2006-09-04 21:30]     (Translator's Note: This is the transcript of an evening news segment)[News Desk] Anchor: N. Korea's missile export is being blocked. After shipment by sea had been blocked, N. Korea has been trying to use air shipment, but China is blocking it, according to what we have found. Sino-N. Korean relation is not what it used to be. Correspondent Shin Kyung-min will be reporting.  Correspondent: S. Korean government confirmed to us that N. Korean planes carrying missile components have been blocked by China from using Chinese airspace on many occasions since 2005. U.S. intelligence monitoring...

U.S., Iraqi Copter Crews Share Airspace, Mission The U.S. Army's 101st Combat Aviation Brigade and Iraqi Air Force's 3rd Squadron are tasked to protect a northern Iraqi oil pipeline, as well as ensure electrical power systems are not destroyed by insurgents. By U.S. Army Spc. Lee Elder 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment TIKRIT, Iraq, Jan. 5, 2006 — The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade hosted members of the fledgling Iraqi Air Force's 3rd Squadron on Dec. 21. The purpose of the meeting was to share information and view each unit's aircraft. "We can leverage both the capabilities of my brigade...

Russia Loses a Jet to NATO // Su-27 crashes in Lithuania Encroachment A scandal broke out yesterday when a Russian Su-27 fighter jet crashed in Lithuania on its way from Leningrad Region to Kaliningrad Region. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has presented Russian diplomats a note of protest about the violation of Lithuanian airspace. The fighter pilot, who bailed out of the plane, has been taken into custody and is the object of investigation. The Russian Defense Ministry claims that the pilot crossed the border because of a malfunction in his navigation equipment, which was also the cause of the crash....

Premier says China can't use airspace NO RECIPROCITY: Frank Hsieh made the comments a day after he said the government was hoping it could lift the ban on Taiwanese aircraft flying through Chinese airspace By Jimmy Chuang and Shih Hsiu-chuan STAFF REPORTERS Friday, Aug 05, 2005,Page 1 Advertising Although the Cabinet said it will allow Taiwanese jetliners to fly through Chinese airspace, Premier Frank Hsieh (ÖxéLÍ¢) yesterday said that the government will not allow Chinese aircraft to use Taiwanese airspace. "It will never happen until Beijing signs a peace agreement with us," the premier said. Hsieh made the remarks during...

WASHINGTON - Laura Bush said yesterday the Secret Service was wrong not to alert her husband about the airplane that invaded the no-fly zone around the White House last week. "I think he should have been interrupted," the First Lady told reporters accompanying her on a five-day tour of the Middle East, "but I'm not going to second-guess the Secret Service that were with him." The President learned about the incident, which turned out to be a false alarm caused by two bumbling pilots, after finishing a mountain bike workout at a government wildlife sanctuary in suburban Maryland. Laura Bush...

I guess it worked. I guess the terror-alert system in Washington -- the one that shot to red because two nitwits got lost in their plane -- worked. But the incident was awfully disconcerting. It reminded me of a James Thurber story, "The Day the Dam Broke," that details the chaos that erupted in Columbus, Ohio in 1913 when everyone thought the dam had burst (it didn't). Thurber speculated that the scare started when one man, possibly late for a lunch date with his wife, began to run east. When someone else began to run, perhaps a newsboy in high...

When the United States closed its airspace after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, more than 200 airliners were diverted to airports across Canada, where stranded travelers were welcomed into homes. President Bush was traveling Wednesday to Nova Scotia to give the Canadians a belated "thank you" for helping Americans in their hour of need - a gesture aimed at warming frosty ties between the neighboring nations. "Immediately, Canadians opened their homes and their hearts," Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin said in toasting Bush at a dinner in Ottawa Tuesday night. "Three days later, on September the 14th, 100,000 Canadians spontaneously...

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20041023170609990008 MELBOURNE, Fla. (Oct. 23) - Two small private aircraft violated restricted air space Saturday over two of President Bush's campaign rallies in central Florida, authorities said. In both incidents, fighter jets led the planes to nearby airfields. ''The president was never in any danger at either event,'' White House spokesman Trent Duffy said. In Lakeland, a small aircraft flew too close to Bush's rally at Ty Cobb Field and was escorted to Gilbert Field in Winter Haven, Secret Service spokesman Tom Mazur said. Later, in Melbourne, an F-15 escorted a plane to Merritt Island Airport near Cocoa Beach, said...

Larry Kuehn says he might not vote for President Bush next month — he's undecided — but he didn't set out to be a threat to him on Saturday. The White Bear Lake retiree says he certainly didn't mean any harm this past weekend when a leisurely afternoon flight around the east metro turned out to be a likely violation of airspace rules with the president in town campaigning for re-election. Kuehn's flight ended with a frightening brush with the might of the U.S. military.

LAS VEGAS, NV, December 29 Airspace over Las Vegas Strip to be closed New Year's Eve Jerry Bussell, Governor Kenny Guinn's adviser on homeland security, tells The Associated Press that the airspace over the Las Vegas Strip will be closed New Year's Eve. A spokeswoman with the US Department of Homeland Security says the agency has received the state's request to close the airspace and is coordinating any action with the FAA. A spokeswoman with McCarran International Airport says the ban, known as a temporary flight restriction, will implemented on New Year's Eve from 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM. The...

Drones May Be Allowed to Share U.S. Skies By Renae Merle Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, October 4, 2003; Page E01 NASA launched a program this month budgeted at more than $100 million aimed at allowing unmanned aircraft to share the skies with commercial airliners, bolstering what the defense industry hopes will eventually be a multibillion-dollar market for drones. The program would initially permit unmanned aerial vehicles, known as UAVs, to fly at about 40,000 feet, which is above most commercial traffic. By the end of five years, unmanned aircraft would be allowed to join general air traffic, flying as...

A Russian passenger plane from Saudi Arabia infiltrated Israeli air space this afternoon, apparently by accident. Israel Air Force combat planes were alerted to the scene, and escorted the plane outside Israel. A Russian passenger plane from Saudi Arabia infiltrated Israeli air space this afternoon, apparently by accident. Israel Air Force combat planes were alerted to the scene, and escorted the plane outside Israel. A month ago, Israeli intelligence received warning of an Al-Qaeda scheme to hijack a plane from a Saudi Arabian airfield - only 200 kilometers from Israel - and crash it into an Israeli building.

NICOSIA — The United States has asked the Republic of Cyprus for use of its air space for the war against Iraq.The U.S. request also included the use of Greek Cypriot ports, officials said. "Due to our geographical location, the United States has asked for some facilities," Foreign Minister George Iacovou said. In October 2001, the Republic of Cyprus signed an accord with the United States that gave Washington "blanket use" of its air space and airports, Iacovou said. The foreign minister said the United States did not make extensive use of these facilities in the war against Al Qaida.

Turkey has approved use of airspace per Skynews web broadcast. Will report more as it comes in.

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) — The Czech Republic will accept U.S. help in patrolling the country's airspace during next week's NATO summit in Prague to safeguard against terror attacks. It will be the first time the United States has patrolled Czech airspace, according to Maj. Petr Sykora, a spokesman for the Czech air force. President Vaclav Havel, who was recovering from bronchitis in the Canary Islands, returned to the Czech capital on Thursday and signed a law agreeing to the U.S. help, spokesman Ladislav Spacek said. The measure had already passed both houses of parliament. As many as 250 U.S....

WASHINGTON (AP) - At least three small airplanes intruded into airspace over Camp David this weekend while President Bush was at the mountain retreat in Maryland, including one escorted to a nearby airport by fighter jets, the Secret Service said Sunday. Spokesman Jim Mackin said Secret Service agents questioned the pilots of all three planes - one of them an ultralight - determined the intrusions were inadvertent and took no action against them beyond referring the cases to the Federal Aviation Administration for possible administrative action. He said a fourth plane - also an ultralight - possibly was involved in...