The president’s visit to the Coachella Valley this weekend will have an impact on pilots in the Morongo Basin. The Federal Aviation Administration has set an absolute no-fly zone in an 11-mile radius from a point in the Coachella Valley from 5:30 p.m. Friday to 10:30 Monday morning, except for a few hours Saturday morning when he’ll be at the University of California, Irvine. Airspace in the radius of 11 miles, to 18,000 feet, is a no-fly zone; from 11 miles to 30 miles out is a restricted airspace, with the need of prior approval for a flight. The temporary flight restrictions affect the airports in Palm Springs, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, Banning, Hemet, Bermuda Dunes, and Thermal. Yucca Valley airport spokesman Bob Dunn said that during President Obama’s last visit to the Coachella Valley, military aircraft forced down three planes that violated the no-fly zone and restricted flight area without obtaining prior approval. Dunn added that violators could face fines and even the confiscation of their aircraft.
