A Spirit Airlines pilot nearly put President Trump in serious danger on Tuesday when his plane flew way too close to Air Force One over New York. The reckless incident happened as our President was flying to England with First Lady Melania Trump for an important state visit. This is exactly the kind of sloppy flying that puts our Commander in Chief at risk.
Air traffic controllers had to scream at the Spirit pilot multiple times to pay attention and turn away from the presidential aircraft. The frustrated controller even had to tell the pilot to get off his iPad and focus on flying the plane. When you’re carrying hundreds of passengers near the President’s plane, maybe put down the tablet and do your job.
The two planes came within just eight miles of each other over Long Island as Flight 1300 headed from Florida to Boston. That’s far too close when we’re talking about the safety of the leader of the free world. Our President deserves better protection than this amateur hour flying.
You can hear the anger in the air traffic controller’s voice as he repeatedly barks orders at the distracted pilot. These brave controllers probably saved lives by staying alert and doing their jobs right. They’re the real heroes in this scary situation that could have ended much worse.
The pilot finally responded after being told multiple times to turn right and avoid Air Force One. But it took way too long for him to follow basic safety commands. This kind of delayed reaction time is unacceptable when flying near the President of the United States.
Spirit Airlines claims their pilot followed all procedures and landed safely in Boston. They say safety is their top priority, but their actions tell a different story. How can safety be your priority when your pilot needs to be told twice to pay attention to Air Force One?
The Federal Aviation Administration says the planes maintained required separation, but that misses the point entirely. Required separation shouldn’t matter when we’re talking about protecting our President from potential threats. We need much stricter rules around presidential flight zones.
This incident shows why we need stronger security measures for presidential travel and better training for commercial pilots. President Trump deserves the highest level of protection, not careless flying from budget airlines. Our Commander in Chief’s safety should never be left to chance because some pilot can’t stay off his iPad.
