President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have been spending the week on vacation in Lake Tahoe, and this morning two fighter jets had to be deployed by NORAD to chase a private plane out of the temporarily restricted airspace around the lake.
Much like they had to do when Biden was in San Francisco in June, two North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) F-16 fighter jets were sent to shoo off a plane Friday morning around 7:50 a.m. that had violated a temporary flight restriction over Lake Tahoe.
A U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was also deployed.
As KPIX reports, NORAD put out a statement assuring the public that there was no danger, after the jets sent out flares.
"During this event, the fighter aircraft dispensed flares – that may have been visible to the public – to gain attention from the pilot," the statement says. "Flares were employed with the highest regard for safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground."
The plane was quickly escorted out of the area.
"NORAD employs a layered defense network of radars, satellites and fighter aircraft to identify aircraft and determine the appropriate response," the statement adds. "The identification and monitoring of aircraft demonstrates how NORAD executes its aerospace warning and aerospace control missions for the United States and Canada."
The Bidens were meant to be on vacation all this week in Tahoe, but they paused their trip Monday in order to visit Maui and assess the wildfire damage there. They flew back that night to Reno, and headed to Tahoe Tuesday morning, per KPIX.
Their vacation appears to be ending tomorrow, as the temporary flight restriction ends at 4:45 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday.
Photo: John Torcasio