NO FLY ZONE - POTUS in Ottawa Mar 23-25

Do not fly any drone in Ottawa from 5:30pm EDT March 23 to 10:00pm EDT March 25.

Once again, we'd like to stress the importance and necessity of checking and complying with Notices To Airmen (NOTAMs).

Do not rely on flight planning tools or apps alone, always check NOTAMs directly at https://plan.navcanada.ca/wxrecall/.

Learn to check and understand flight restrictions and get certified. Click here to enroll in Coastal Drone Co's Basic and here to enroll in the Advanced online course.

Recently we have posted about interesting and relevant NOTAMs affected drone usage in Ontario. These have included restricted airspace due to air defense operations over Lake Huron (re: Chinese spy balloon et al.). This past weekend, there was the closure of much of the airspace in Kingston for police operations to prevent overly rowdy St.Patrick's day parties.

Now there is a NOTAM covering a huge area centred on downtown Ottawa that creates a no fly zone for any drone operations.

The area affected by the NOTAM is so big because it needs to ensure the safety and security of President Biden during his visit to Ottawa. This means that all potential routes and airspace that the President's aircraft may take or occupy must be restricted and monitored to ensure that there are no unauthorized aircraft, including drones, within the vicinity.

Furthermore, the size of the restricted airspace also takes into account the safety of the general public and other aircraft that may be flying in the vicinity. The size of the restricted airspace allows for a buffer zone, ensuring that there is ample distance between the President's aircraft and any other aircraft flying in the area.

Additionally, the restricted airspace also allows for the deployment of security measures, such as fighter jets, to intercept any unauthorized aircraft that may enter the restricted airspace. The size of the restricted airspace ensures that there is enough time for these measures to be deployed and for any unauthorized aircraft to be intercepted before they pose a threat to the safety and security of the President and the general public.

Overall, the size of the restricted airspace in this NOTAM is necessary to ensure the safety and security of the President and the general public during his visit to Ottawa. 

Moreover, the Notam also specifies that any unauthorized flight within the restricted airspace may result in interception, detention, and prosecution. It is imperative to note that as a pilot, you are responsible for staying informed about any and all Notams that may affect your flight, including changes in airspace restrictions.

In this case, it is particularly important to pay attention to the Notam because of the arrival of President Biden in Ottawa. Whenever there is a VIP or high-level event, airspace restrictions are put in place to ensure the safety of the dignitaries and everyone involved. These restrictions may include the creation of Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) or the establishment of Restricted Airspace, such as in this case. It is essential to respect these restrictions as they are put in place to ensure everyone's safety.

To better understand this Notam, let's go through it line by line:

• "H0697/23 NOTAMR H0693/23": This line indicates that this NOTAM is a revision of a previous one (H0693/23).

• "A) CZUL B) 2303232130 C) 2303250200": This line specifies the effective dates and times of the NOTAM, from March 23, 2023, at 2130 UTC to March 25, 2023, at 0200 UTC, within the CZUL (Ottawa) flight information region.

• "E) DAH IS AMENDED AS FOLLOWS:": This line indicates that the Danger Area Height (DAH) is being amended.

• "CYR546 CLASS F RESTRICTED AIRSPACE IS ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE AREA BOUNDED BY 24NM RADIUS OF 451921N 754009W (OTTAWA/MACDONALD-CARTIER INTL TML) EXCLUDING CYR 537 AND CYR545,": This line establishes the Class F Restricted Airspace, known as CYR546, within a 24nm radius of 451921N 754009W, which excludes CYR537 and CYR545.

• "NO PERSON SHALL OPR AN ACFT (INCL ALL RPAS) WITHIN THE AREA DESCRIBED,": This line prohibits any person from operating an aircraft, including all Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), within the described airspace.

• "EXC POLICE, MIL, REGULARLY SKED COMMERCIAL PASSENGER AND CARGO CARRIERS (CAR PART 704 AND 705) OR MEDEVAC FLT AUTH BY ATC OR OTHER FLT AUTH BY RCMP SECURITY COORD 343-571-3804.": This line provides exceptions to the previous prohibition for police, military, regularly scheduled commercial passenger and cargo carriers, or medevac flights authorized by ATC or other flight authorized by RCMP security coordination.

• "ALL ACFT AUTH BY RCMP SECURITY SHALL:": This line outlines specific requirements for all aircraft authorized by RCMP security.

• "A. PRIOR TO FLT PLANNING INTO CYR546, HAVE AN AUTH NUMBER OBTAINED FM THE RCMP AIR SECURITY COORD 343-571-3804. THE REQUEST WILL INCLUDE THE ARR/DEP LOC

It is important to always be aware of NOTAMs and their potential impact on your flight plans, as failure to do so could result in interception, detention, and prosecution, as stated in this NOTAM.

Learn to check and understand flight restrictions and get certified. Click here to enroll in Coastal Drone Co's Basic and here to enroll in the Advanced online course.

Thanks for reading.